‘Ring of fire’ lights up the sky for some in Northern Hemisphere

CNN — A “ring of fire” solar eclipse appeared in the sky for some people in the Northern Hemisphere on Thursday as the moon partially blocked out the sun.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon crosses between the sun and the Earth, which blocks a portion of the sun’s rays, according to NASA.

This eclipse is an annular eclipse, meaning the moon is far enough away from the Earth that it appears smaller than the sun. The name “annular” comes from the Latin word “annulus,” which means ring-shaped, according to Farmers’ Almanac.

When the moon crosses paths with the fiery star, it will look smaller than the sun, leaving room for bright light to glow around the edges. This is called “the ring of fire” and was expected to be visible to some people in Greenland, northern Russia and Canada, NASA said.

Other countries in the Northern Hemisphere, including the United Kingdom and Ireland, were able to see a partial eclipse, which is where the moon only covers a portion of the sun. A fingernail-shaped shadow covered a different percentage of the sun, depending on your location.

The next opportunity to see an eclipse won’t come until November 19. This partial eclipse of the moon can be viewed by skywatchers in North America and Hawaii between 1 a.m. ET and 7:06 a.m. ET.

And the year will end with a total eclipse of the sun on December 4. It won’t be visible in North America, but those in the Falkland Islands, the southern tip of Africa, Antarctica, and southeastern Australia will be able to spot it.

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