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Solar eclipse pictures: ‘Ring of Fire’ blocks the Sun in UK and US and leads to stunning images

Andrew Griffin
Thursday 10 June 2021 17:59 BST
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<p>A annular eclipse is seen as the sun rises over Scituate, Massachusetts</p>

A annular eclipse is seen as the sun rises over Scituate, Massachusetts

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A “ring of fire” has appeared in the skies over Europe and the US – and been captured in stunning new images.

The pictures show the crescent Sun that appeared as the Moon moved in front of it and blocked its light.

The event was an annular solar eclipse, meaning that the arrangement and the Sun and Moon was never enough to fully block out the light, as in a total eclipse. Instead, it leaves a blazing ring around the outside of the Moon, as the light from the Sun creeps out.

In most places that got to see it, however, the Sun was never that fully eclipsed. Instead, the Moon moved only partly over the Sun, leaving a piece missing like a half-eaten cookie.

That nonetheless made for stunning images as the eclipse appeared over some of the world’s biggest cities and most famous landmarks:

The sun rises partially eclipsed in this view taken from behind a window (hence the doubling effect) of Summit One Vanderbilt, a high rise in New York City

The partial eclipse, in Brussels

Sun rise over Scituate Light, Scituate, Massachusetts

The Crimea and Indian Mutiny memorial outside Westminster Abbey

The eclipse is seen as the sun rises over Scituate, Massachusetts

The partial solar eclipse is seen as the sun rises to the left of the United States Capitol building

The sun rises behind the Statue of Freedom on top of the United States Capitol Building

The eclipsed sun rises over Tobermory in Ontario, Canada

The partial eclipse over the Houses of Parliament

The sun rises partially eclipsed in a view taken from Summit One Vanderbilt

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