Spectacular "Ring Of Fire" Solar Eclipse Wows Skywatchers

On October 2, 2024, a few lucky skygazers witnessed the Sun transform into a stunning "ring of fire" in the sky. The annular solar eclipse's narrow path, which began in the Pacific Ocean and ended in the Atlantic Ocean, tracked far from land. As a result, it was visible only to about 175,000 people worldwide.

The best views were reserved for Easter Island, also called Rapa Nui, in Polynesia [see video below]. Hundreds of eclipse chasers descended upon this remote volcanic island to witness the event live. While getting there was not easy, it was well-worth the effort. For one, the "ring of fire" lasted an impressive 7 minutes and 25 seconds. This was significantly longer than the 4 minutes and 52 seconds experienced in the US during the last annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023. Additionally, it will be another 312 years before the island experiences another such event.

Though the annular eclipse was visible to only a select few, more than 240 million people were able to see an arc-shaped partial solar eclipse. They included those in Hawaii, Fiji, Mexico, and New Zealand.

Annular solar eclipse explained

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, blocking part or all of the Sun's light. During an annular solar eclipse, the Moon is at its farthest point from Earth. It appears smaller than the Sun and cannot block all of its light. This results in an incredible ring of light around the Moon, or what we call an annular eclipse.

The October 2, 2024, annular eclipse was the last solar eclipse of the year. However, 2025 will bring two partial solar eclipses. The first, occurring on March 29, 2025, will be seen in parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. The second, on September 21, 2025, will be visible from Australia and Antarctica.

Resources: Space.com, EarthSky.com, CNN.com, NPR.com