Rare ‘Christmas eclipse’ will illuminate sky with ‘ring of fire’

LOS ANGELES - A partial annular solar eclipse will light up the sky with a “ring of fire” during the daytime in the Eastern Hemisphere on Thursday, Dec. 26.

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon is relatively small in the sky and passes directly across the sun, but fails to cover it entirely. As a result, a “ring of fire” is formed that shines around the silhouette of the dark moon, according to Space.com.

The natural phenomenon will be visible across parts of the Middle East and Asia including, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, southern India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Guam.

The annular solar eclipse will last approximately for 3 minutes and 40 seconds and is the last eclipse of the year.

It is dangerous to look at an annular solar eclipse with the naked eye, and protective eye wear is strongly encouraged. 

The next annular solar eclipse that will be visible in the U.S. is set to occur on June 10, 2021.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.