The annular solar eclipse of June 21, 2020 produced a visible 'ring of fire' effect across parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Key Facts
- Eclipse Type
- Annular solar eclipse
- Eclipse Magnitude
- 0.994
- Moon's Orbital Node
- Ascending node
- Days After Apogee
- 6.2 days after apogee (June 15, 2020)
- Date
- Sunday, June 21, 2020
By the Numbers
Cause → Event → Consequence
The eclipse occurred approximately 6.2 days after the Moon reached apogee on June 15, 2020, meaning the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller than usual. When the Moon passed between Earth and the Sun at its ascending node, its disk was too small to fully cover the Sun, creating the conditions for an annular rather than a total eclipse.
On June 21, 2020, an annular solar eclipse with a magnitude of 0.994 was visible from Earth. The Moon obscured most of the Sun's disk but left a bright ring, or annulus, visible around its edges. The annular path crossed thousands of kilometres, while surrounding regions experienced a partial eclipse.
Observers along the eclipse path witnessed the distinctive 'ring of fire' phenomenon. The surrounding regions thousands of kilometres wide experienced a partial obscuration of the Sun. The event attracted significant scientific and public interest as a relatively rare alignment where the Moon's apparent size nearly matched but did not exceed the Sun's.