Skygazers watch 'ring of fire' eclipse over the Americas

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico Skygazers across the Americas turned their faces upwards on Saturday for a rare celestial event: an annular solar eclipse.

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A crowd of people wearing protective eyewear gathered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, one of many groups that gathered across the western United States to watch as the Moon passed between the Sun and Earth at its farthest point from our planet.

Since it was so distant, it did not cover the Sun completely, creating a ring of fire” effect that brought cheers from the crowd in Albuquerque.

“It’s majestic. We’re in awe,” said viewer Shannon Cozad.

In the course of just a few hours, the most striking path of the annularity” was crossing a handful of major US cities, including Eugene, Oregon, and San Antonio, Texas, with partial eclipse phases lasting an hour or two before and after.

“It’s kind of like a black hole,” said eight-year-old Mubaraq Sokunbi, who was at a hot-air balloon festival in Albuquerque with his family. The Moon covers the Sun and then there’s a ring around it.”