People from eastern Asia to the western United States enjoyed a rare treat when the moon blotted out most of the sun to create a "ring of fire" in the sky.
The annular lunar eclipse was visible in parts of Asia early Monday and the United States late Sunday. The moon passed in front of the sun leaving only a bright ring visible around its edges.
Viewing parties gathered by the hundreds and even thousands in fields and at observatories across the globe. Many people used special eclipse glasses to protect their eyes during the viewing.
Photo Gallery:
The Ring of Fire Eclipse
People were able to view the eclipse from eastern Asia to the western United States.
Japanese TV crews broadcast the eclipse live.
The moon covers about 95 percent of the sun in an annular eclipse. The last one seen from the U.S. was 18 years ago.
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