This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
On the summer solstice, a rare 'ring of fire' solar eclipse captivated viewers on the longest day of the year, visible from a narrow pathway across the planet.
So-called annular eclipses occur when the Moon, passing between Earth and the Sun, is not quite close enough to our planet to completely obscure sunlight, leaving a thin ring of the solar disc visible.
On June 21, 2020, Sunday's eclipse arrived on the northern hemisphere's longest day of the year, when the North Pole is tilted most directly towards the Sun.
It was first visible in northeastern Republic of Congo from 5:56 local time (04:56 GMT) just a few minutes after sunrise, marking the point of maximum duration, with the blackout lasting a minute and 22 seconds.
As the eclipse arced eastward across Africa and Asia, it reached 'maximum eclipse' over Uttarakhand, India near the Sino-Indian border at 12:10 local time (06:40 GMT), with a perfect solar halo around the Moon.
However, the exact alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun was visible for only 38 seconds.
Despite some disappointment, Susan Murbana, who set up the Travelling Telescope educational programme with her husband Chu, told AFP: 'It was very exciting because I think I'm so obsessed with eclipses.'
Coronavirus precautions were taken in various locations, including Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, where dozens of students and astronomy enthusiasts gathered on a rooftop, with only a few allowed at the viewing area at a time, wearing masks and sanitising their hands.
According to Florent Delefie, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory, the annular eclipse is visible from only about two percent of Earth's surface, likening it to 'switching from a 500-watt to a 30-watt light bulb.'
