The Moon passed in front of the Sun yesterday, giving rise to a stunning solar eclipse visible across much of the world. A select few even got a rare glimpse of an annular (aka "ring of fire") eclipse — the first to be visible from the continental U.S. since 1994.
Photographers around the world (and even a couple satellites shooting pictures from space) took advantage of the opportunity to capture some breathtaking images and video. We've rounded up a few of our favorites. With the exception of the time-lapse video (which you can watch in 1080p), every one of these images can, and should, be viewed in in hi-res, so click to enlarge and enjoy!
Gorgeous time-lapse footage via mrcorypoole
David McNew/Getty — Photographed from Grand Canyon National Park
Julie Jacobson/AP The Moon crosses the face of the Sun, photographed in gorgeous Monument Valley, Arizona
Cathleen Allison/AP The solar eclipse from Gardnerville, NV
David McNew/Getty
JAXA/Hinode Photograph taken from Japan's Hinode satellite
Composite image of the annular eclipse taken by Koji Kudo from Kawasaki, Japan. Kudo toldSPACE.com: "Please use this as a smartphone wall paper if you like:-)"
Bullit Marquez/AP Photographed from the coastal township of Gumaca, Quezon province, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
Masashi Hara/Getty
The annular eclipse photographed in Hα by Mrmoorey via Flickr
Wally Santana/AP The eclipse peers through a break in clouds over Taipei, Taiwan
Shuji Kajiyama/AP Photographed from a waterfront park in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan