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The magnificent 'ring of fire' eclipse as seen across the world

If you live anywhere in the area between Texas and Hong Kong, than you could have seen the shadow of the Moon sweeping across the Earth, as it passed in front of the Sun, leaving behind only a ring of fire. The eclipse started in China, but sadly, heavy clouds obscured most of Hong Kong and […]

Mihai Andrei
May 21, 2012 @ 9:19 am

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Photo by Masaru Kamikura.

If you live anywhere in the area between Texas and Hong Kong, than you could have seen the shadow of the Moon sweeping across the Earth, as it passed in front of the Sun, leaving behind only a ring of fire. The eclipse started in China, but sadly, heavy clouds obscured most of Hong Kong and a part of China’s coast; however, residents from Japan had an almost perfect view of the event.

Photo by Kevin Baird.

Photo by Kevin Baird.

Events were held at schools and museums in Japan, while many more people took in the unusual astronomical event at home or on street corners. Experts warned enthusiasts not to look directly at the Sun, because doing so could cause significant eye problems.Patrick Wiggins, a NASA ambassador in Salt Lake City, said he always looked forward to seeing people’s reactions to such events.

“You get everything from stoic, staring into the sky … to people breaking down and crying, they’re just so moved,” he said.

We couldn’t catch a glimpse of the eclipse due to our location, but if you happened to take pictures, do share them with us – we’d absolutely love it! Until then, we’ll leave you with some more pictures taken by others.

 

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