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Annular eclipse after sunrise

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March 2, 2017

Composite image of February 26, 2017 annular solar eclipse – aka a “ring of fire” eclipse – from northern Patagonia by Vincent Bouchama. Created from a series of exposures at 3-minute intervals.

This stunning composite image is making the rounds on social media today. It’s from last Sunday (February 26, 2017) when the new moon moved directly in front of the sun, creating a solar eclipse. This was an annular eclipse, or ring of fire eclipse; that is, the moon was in a distant part of its orbit and not large enough as seen from Earth to cover the sun completely. At mid-eclipse, an outer ring of the sun’s surface appeared around the moon. The image comes from Vincent Bouchama , who was in northern Patagonia on eclipse day.

At Vincent’s location that day, the annular phase of the eclipse lasted a only 45 seconds.

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March 2, 2017

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Deborah Byrd

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Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.