In pics: Stunning images of ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse in India

New Delhi, June 21: Sky gazers and space enthusiasts in India were in awe watching its 'deepest' annular solar eclipse, also called 'ring of fire' eclipse on Sunday. People in India and across parts of Africa and Asia, were the lucky few who got a chance to see the rare "annular" eclipse firsthand.

"Ring of fire" or annular solar eclipses occur when the moon, which is passing between the earth and the sun, is not close enough to the earth to completely obstruct sunlight. This leaves a thin ring of solar disc visible.

The full "ring of fire" was visible to people in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Skywatchers took to social media to share photos of the eclipse. In Delhi, the eclipsed sun was visible through dark clouds.

‘Deepest' annular solar eclipse in a decade

The solar eclipse began from around 9 am on Sunday across India as the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth came in a straight line and will be visible until 1.50 pm with maximum visibility at 12.05 pm.

The country witnessed the ‘deepest' annular solar eclipse in over a century.

Partial solar eclipse in Delhi

Cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Delhi, Patna, Shillong and others witnessed a partial phase of the solar eclipse.

June 21 solar eclipse decade’s 23rd

The solar eclipse on Sunday is the 23rd such celestial event in a decade, according to US space agency NASA's website on eclipses. Today's eclipse is an annular one, meaning the moon is unable to cover the entire sun, leaving a small surface exposed which is called the "ring of fire".

According to NASA's website, there will be 24 solar eclipses between 2011 and 2020.

Image credit: PTI