The world's first partial solar eclipse of 2011 above a sculpture

The world's first partial solar eclipse of 2011 above a sculpture at the National

Total solar eclipse

Total solar eclipse

A solar eclipse in Valparaiso City

A solar eclipse in Valparaiso City

The moon passes between the sun and the earth

The moon passes between the sun and the earth during a solar eclipse in Valparaiso City

The sun is eclipsed by the moon

The sun is eclipsed by the moon during a stage of an annular solar eclipse on the outskirts of Beijing

People watch the annular solar eclipse

Kunming, China: People watch the annular solar eclipse, which will be the longest of this millennium

Photograph: AFP /Getty Images

A camel walks past Hindu devotees offering prayer during a solar eclipse in the River Tawi

Jammu, India: A camel walks past Hindu devotees offering prayer during a solar eclipse in the River Tawi

Photograph: Channi Anand/AP

An aircraft flies past a solar eclipse in Bangkok

An aircraft flies past a solar eclipse in Bangkok January 15, 2010. 
Credit: REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

The moon begins to obstruct the view of the sun from Earth during a solar eclipse

The moon begins to obstruct the view of the sun from Earth during a solar eclipse, against a backdrop in Shenyang, China. The eclipse, which first became visible in Kanyakumari, India, is predicted to be the longest of its kind for the next 1,000 years.

The ring of fire

The highlight of an annular solar eclipse is the ring of fire that appears around the moon during the peak. Here is the climax of the Jan. 15 event as seen from the central stadium in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, South India.

Winner, press photographer of the year, Walkley awards A solar eclipse

Winner, press photographer of the year, Walkley awards A solar eclipse, which the Chinese word for is 'Rishi', meaning 'eaten sun', can be seen above visitors at the Jiayuguan Fort on the Great Wall of China in the town of Jiayuguan, Gansu Province August 1, 2008. 
Credit: REUTERS/David Gray

Hindu holy men watch the solar eclipse

Hindu holy men watch the solar eclipse of July 22, 2009, through specially designed viewing glasses in Allahabad, India. The track of the total eclipse ran through a wide swath of Asia, from India to China, across southern Japanese islands and out into the Pacific. It was the longest-lasting total eclipse of the 21st century.
MSNBC.com

A statue of Houyi, a Chinese legendary hero

A statue of Houyi, a Chinese legendary hero who shot down nine suns with his bow and arrow, is silhouetted against a partial solar eclipse in Changzhi, Shanxi province July 22, 2009.

REUTERS/Stringer

The sun is eclipsed by the moon

The sun is eclipsed by the moon during a stage of a total solar eclipse in Chongqing municipality July 22, 2009.

REUTERS/Stringer