ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE An annular solar eclipse is a celestial event in which the Moon covers the central part of the Sun, leaving a thin bright ring of sunlight visible around the Moon. This glowing circle is called the “Ring of Fire.” CHARACTERISTICS The Sun, Moon, and Earth are aligned in a straight line (syzygy). The apparent diameter of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun. A ring of sunlight remains visible around the dark Moon. Unlike a total solar eclipse, the Sun’s corona is not visi