Annular eclipse over New Mexico, USA, 20 May 2012

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Info. Annular eclipse over New Mexico, USA, 20 May 2012

There are four types of solar eclipses: total, partial, annular and hybrid. Our image shows an annular solar eclipse from 2012 over New Mexico in the United States. An annular eclipse happens when the Sun and Moon are exactly in line with the Earth, but the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun, leaving the Sun's visible outer edges to appear as a very bright ring around the Moon. The name 'annular' comes from the Latin word 'annulus', which means 'ring'. There can be between two and five solar eclipses each year.