'Ring of fire' solar eclipse thrills skywatchers around the world (and in space, too!)
By
Tariq Malik
Published Dec 26, 2019 9:51 PM EDT
The moon crossed the face of the in a dazzling "ring of fire" solar eclipse today (Dec. 26) to the delight of potentially millions of spectators
around the world in the Eastern Hemisphere. Even astronauts in space
marveled at the view.
The eclipse, known as an annular solar
eclipse, began in Saudi Arabia, with the moon passing in front of the
sun, but not completely covering the star's face. Instead, it left a
brilliant ring, or annulus, that gave it a "ring of fire" effect. It was
the last solar eclipse of 2019, indeed, of the decade.
"It
was an amazing experience," photographer Alexander Krivenyshev of
WorldTimeZone.com told Space.com in an email. "This morning's annular
eclipse was during sunrise, with some sand dust by the horizon. [A]
beautiful, really beautiful, classic 'Ring of Fire' above Saudi Arabia."
Photographer Alexander Krivenyshev of WorldTimeZone.com captured the "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse of Dec. 26, 2019 fromAl Hofuf in Saudi Arabia. (Image credit: Alexander Krivenyshev )
In space, astronauts watched as the moon's shadow crept across the surface of the Earth.
"Here's what today's annular solar eclipse (when the Moon is in line in between Earth and the Sun) looked like from @Space_Station," NASA astronaut Jessica Meir wrote in a Twitter post from the International Space Station. "We saw the shadow of the Moon on the Earth below, just above the horizon (central gray area above horizon)."
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir captured these photos of the Dec. 26, 2019 annular solar eclipse from the International Space Station. They show the moon's shadow moving across the surface of the Earth. (Image credit: Jessica Meir/NASA via Twitter)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Himawari 8 weather satellite
captured a dazzling video of the moon's shadow moving across Earth. The
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shared the video on Twitter.
Solar eclipses occur when the new moon passes between the sun and the Earth, appearing to cover part (a partial eclipse) or all (a total eclipse) as viewed from the Earth's surface. Because the moon's orbit has a tilt, this cosmic alignment doesn't occur every month. Sometimes, the moon is a bit too far from Earth in its orbit to completely cover the sun, resulting in an annular eclipse like the one today.
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News / Astronomy
'Ring of fire' solar eclipse thrills skywatchers around the world (and in space, too!)
By Tariq Malik
Published Dec 26, 2019 9:51 PM EDT
Partner Content
The moon crossed the face of the in a dazzling "ring of fire" solar eclipse today (Dec. 26) to the delight of potentially millions of spectators around the world in the Eastern Hemisphere. Even astronauts in space marveled at the view.
The eclipse, known as an annular solar eclipse, began in Saudi Arabia, with the moon passing in front of the sun, but not completely covering the star's face. Instead, it left a brilliant ring, or annulus, that gave it a "ring of fire" effect. It was the last solar eclipse of 2019, indeed, of the decade.
"It was an amazing experience," photographer Alexander Krivenyshev of WorldTimeZone.com told Space.com in an email. "This morning's annular eclipse was during sunrise, with some sand dust by the horizon. [A] beautiful, really beautiful, classic 'Ring of Fire' above Saudi Arabia."
Photographer Alexander Krivenyshev of WorldTimeZone.com captured the "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse of Dec. 26, 2019 fromAl Hofuf in Saudi Arabia. (Image credit: Alexander Krivenyshev )
In space, astronauts watched as the moon's shadow crept across the surface of the Earth.
"Here's what today's annular solar eclipse (when the Moon is in line in between Earth and the Sun) looked like from @Space_Station," NASA astronaut Jessica Meir wrote in a Twitter post from the International Space Station. "We saw the shadow of the Moon on the Earth below, just above the horizon (central gray area above horizon)."
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir captured these photos of the Dec. 26, 2019 annular solar eclipse from the International Space Station. They show the moon's shadow moving across the surface of the Earth. (Image credit: Jessica Meir/NASA via Twitter)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Himawari 8 weather satellite captured a dazzling video of the moon's shadow moving across Earth. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shared the video on Twitter.
Solar eclipses occur when the new moon passes between the sun and the Earth, appearing to cover part (a partial eclipse) or all (a total eclipse) as viewed from the Earth's surface. Because the moon's orbit has a tilt, this cosmic alignment doesn't occur every month. Sometimes, the moon is a bit too far from Earth in its orbit to completely cover the sun, resulting in an annular eclipse like the one today.
Click here to continue reading on SPACE.com.
Report a Typo