Breathtaking "ring of fire" eclipse seen across the U.S.
A rare solar eclipse — known as a "ring of fire"— crossed a swath of the United States on Saturday. Eclipse-watchers have been preparing for the dazzling event for weeks, since this is the last annular solar eclipse that will be visible from American skies until June 21, 2039, according to NASA.
An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Sun and Earth while it is at its farthest point from Earth. Americans from Oregon to Texas were able to view this weekend's eclipse. The 2039 eclipse will only pass over the skies in the state of Alaska.
The eclipse started just after 8 a.m. local time in Oregon and ended midday in Texas, according to NASA. Here's how the "ring of fire" appeared.
The moon crosses in front of the sun during an annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023 in Lake View, Oregon.
Nick Ut / Getty Images
Around high noon at the Alamo, the eyes of Texas, and hundreds of visitors, were looking towards the sky.
"What's better than to take your picture in front of the shrine of liberty here in the state of Texas, with an eclipse in the background," said Kate Rogers with the Alamo Trust.
A crowd views the partial solar eclipse at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Oct. 14, 2023.
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Crescents are made visible in tree shadows during the annular solar eclipse.
Brooke Katz
In Utah's Bryce Canyon, people hiked into nature to witness the eclipse, while others flocked to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles to get a glimpse.
Hikers view the partial solar eclipse in Bryce Canyon, Utah. Oct. 14, 2023 .
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A view of the partial annular solar eclipse with a reflection on Oct. 14, 2023, as it passes over Los Angeles, California.
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John Cuddy flew to San Antonio from North Carolina to watch the solar phenomenon. He witnessed the 2017 eclipse and didn't want to miss this one.
"It's just really cool," Cuddy said. "It doesn't happen often. Like I think there have only been a few over the continental United States in last couple of decades. It's like a neat thing."
Crowds view the partial solar eclipse from the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Oct. 14, 2023.
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The next eclipse will take place in April 2024. It will be a total eclipse, which means that from Maine to Texas, it will be briefly dark in the middle of the day.
Starting at the Oregon coast and concluding on the east coast of South America, an annular solar eclipse projected a halo of sunlight around the moon's border on Oct. 14, 2023.
Nick Ut / Getty Images
Penumbral shadows cast during a solar eclipse during a solar eclipse in Driftwood, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023.
Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The moon begins its descent below the sun's horizon during an annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023 in Kerrville, Texas.
BRANDON BELL / Getty Images
Differing from a total solar eclipse, the moon in an annular eclipse appears too small to cover the sun completely, leaving a ring of fire effect around the moon.
RICK KERN / Getty Images
A woman looks at the sun with solar glasses after the Annular Solar Eclipse completed in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.
George Frey / Getty Images
The moon crosses the sun as it exits the maximum eclipse during the Annular Solar Eclipse in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.
George Frey / Getty Images
The annular solar eclipse is seen from the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium of the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City, Oct. 14, 2023.
Luis Barron / Eyepix Group/Future Publishing via Getty Images
A view of the annular solar eclipse is seen on a Sunspotter telescope at Caspers Wilderness Park in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., on Oct. 14, 2023.
Mark Rightmire/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images
— Omar Villafranca and Aliza Chazan contributed to this report.
Cara Tabachnick is a news editor at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at cara.tabachnick@cbsinteractive.com
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