Dazzling photos show what the rare 'ring of fire' solar eclipse looked like around the world

The annular solar eclipse is seen on June 21, 2020, in Xiamen, Fujian Province of China.Huang Shan/VCG via Getty Images

• A rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse was visible in certain parts of the world on Sunday.
• This year's solar eclipse took take place in many locations on the same day as the June solstice, which is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This phenomenon will only occur twice in this century.
• Here are some of the most dazzling photos of the annual solar eclipse from around the world.

A rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse was visible in certain parts of the world on Sunday.

This special event occurs when the moon is at the farthest point from Earth in its orbit and passes between the Earth and the sun. During the annual event, the sun's outer rim remains visible, creating a shining silhouette.

The celestial sighting was visible in parts of Africa and Asia, though NASA said that people could still be hundreds of miles away from the path of totality — the track of the Moon's shadow across Earth's surface — and still enjoy the view.

This year's solar eclipse took take place in many locations on the same day as the June solstice, which is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This phenomenon will only occur twice in this century.

Here are some of the most dazzling photos of the annual solar eclipse from around the world.