In Pictures: Rare ‘ring of fire’ eclipse glimpsed in Americas

A rare “ring of fire” eclipse of the sun has been glimpsed across the Americas.

Millions of people had looked forward to the annular solar eclipse, which sees a bright, blazing border as the moon moves between the Earth and sun.

It was a spectacular show for some parts of the western United States as the moon moved into place and the ring formed.

There were cheers for those with an unfettered view in Albuquerque, where the celestial event coincided with an international balloon fiesta that typically draws tens of thousands of spectators and hundreds of hot air balloon pilots from around the world.

Unlike a total solar eclipse, the moon doesn’t completely cover the sun during a ring of fire eclipse. When the moon lines up between Earth and the sun, it leaves a bright, blazing border.

At Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah tiny lights could be seen along a well known trail that snakes through a valley of red rock hoodoos as eclipse enthusiasts hit the trail before sunrise to stake out their preferred spots in nooks and crannies along the way.