In HANGA ROA, Easter Island, and LAS HORQUETAS, Argentina, a spectacular annular “ring of fire” eclipse was witnessed as the moon blocked out most of the sun across the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday afternoon.
Only Easter Island and a small area near the southern tip of Chile and Argentina experienced the annular eclipse, lasting for just a few minutes.
“The ring of fire is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said tourist Rocio Garcia on Easter Island. “Especially here in Rapa Nui with the Moai in the background, it will be spectacular.”
An annular eclipse occurs when the moon is too far away from Earth to completely cover the sun, creating a dark silhouette surrounded by a bright ring of light known as an antumbra, or more commonly, a “ring of fire.”
During the darkening of the sun over the island on Wednesday afternoon, people gathered outdoors, chanted, played music, and wore special eyewear to witness the eclipse.
“I got excited when people were shouting. Everybody’s fervor made it more exciting,” said Alejandra Astudillo, an Easter Island resident.
An estimated 175,000 people live in the path of the eclipse’s annularity, providing an amazing view for residents and eclipse enthusiasts.
“It was an extraordinary phenomenon that’s not often seen,” said Esteban Sanchez in Las Horquetas, Argentina. “This is the first time I’ve seen that and it was really good.”
The southern half of South America, along with parts of Antarctica and Hawaii, saw a partial eclipse according to a map plotted out by NASA.
