Sky gazers in Chile, Bolivia and Argentina were treated to a special sight early on Sunday when they witnessed the first solar eclipse of 2017.
The phenomena is known as a ring eclipse, where the moon is smaller than the sun, so a ring of light is visible when the moon passes over the sun.
A total eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking its rays and casting a shadow.
Observers donned sunglasses with special filters, heeding experts’ warnings that viewers should not look directly at the eclipse without eye protection.
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The event lasted approximately two-and-a-half hours and was visible only in parts of the southern hemisphere.
Residents of Patagonia’s Puerto Aysen watched as the moon came between the Earth and its sun, leaving a “Ring of Fire” in the night sky.
Scientists recommend that people wear special viewing glasses during a total solar eclipse and avoid looking directly at it with the naked eye.
-With files from the Associated Press
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