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Watch the annual Solar Eclipse 2024 from Rapa Nui in Chile.
The New Moon passed in front of the Sun on Wednesday (2 October), forming a “ring of fire” annular solar eclipse across the southern tip of South America.
It passed directly over Argentina, Chile and Easter Island, while a crescent-shaped partial solar eclipse was also visible across a broader region, including Brazil, Fiji, Hawaii, Mexico and New Zealand.
Solar eclipses happen when the sun, moon and Earth line up just so. The moon casts a shadow that can partially or totally block the sun’s light.
During an annular eclipse, the moon obscures all but a ring-shaped sliver of the sun. That’s because the moon is at a point in its orbit that’s farther from Earth.
