‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse passes across Americas

(AP) — Tens of millions in the Americas got front-row seats for a rare “ring of fire” eclipse of the sun.

What’s called an annular solar eclipse briefly dimmed the skies over sections of the western United States and Central and South America on Saturday.

It was a spectacular show for some parts of the western United States as the moon moved into place and the ring formed.

There were hoots, hollers, and yelps for those with an unfettered view in Albuquerque, where the celestial event coincided with an international balloon fiesta that typically draws tens of thousands of spectators and hundreds of hot air balloon pilots from around the world.

They got a double treat, with balloons lifting off during a mass ascension shortly after dawn and then the eclipse a couple hours later.

Organisers had 80,000 pairs of view glasses on hand for the massive crowd and some pilots used their propane burners to shoot flames upward in unison as the spectacle unfolded.

Unlike a total solar eclipse, the moon doesn’t completely cover the sun during a ring of fire eclipse.

When the moon lines up between Earth and the sun, it leaves a bright, blazing border.

Saturday’s path: Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas in the US, with a sliver of California, Arizona and Colorado.

Next: Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Brazil. Much of the rest of the Western Hemisphere gets a partial eclipse.

Viewing all depends on clear skies — part of the US path could see clouds.