Solar eclipse 2020 as it happened: Coverage of rare 'annular' event that passed directly over 12 countries

What is an annular solar eclipse?

The arrival of the 2020 Summer Solstice coincided with a rare type of annular solar eclipse on Sunday.

The Moon’s distance from the Earth meant that it did not completely block out the Sun, creating what some astronomers refer to as a “ring of fire”.

The path of totality – when the Earth, Moon and Sun are perfectly aligned – passed from west to east over 12 countries on 21 June.

A partial eclipse was also visible at various times in dozens of other countries, though poor weather across South East Asia made viewing difficult.

A live stream of the eclipse was broadcast as it passed directly over Africa, the Middle East and Asia (skip to around two hours in to see the full annularity over India).

You can also read The Independent's live coverage of the 2020 solar eclipse.

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Key Points

• Map showing the countries where the total (and partial) eclipse is visible
• Time the eclipse is first and last visible

[21 June 2020 05:05 · anthony.cuthbertson]

Here's a more recent one, showing more detail.

[21 June 2020 05:25 · anthony.cuthbertson]

The full eclipse will be visible for the first time in about 25 minutes over central Africa. The weather is currently expected to be "mostly cloudy" over the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to forecasts.

[21 June 2020 05:28 · anthony.cuthbertson]

There might not be much to see when the total eclipse first appears, but it looks like it clears up along the path heading north east from central Africa.

Here's the latest satellite imagery, courtesy of Accuweather.

[21 June 2020 05:34 · anthony.cuthbertson]

This is what the "ring of fire" effect created by the annular solar eclipse will look like. 

[21 June 2020 05:49 · anthony.cuthbertson]

The path of totality takes the solar eclipse directly over India and China, allowing potentially billions of people to see it firsthand.

The weather is looking fairly clear in the north of India currently, hopefully that doesn't change by the time it passes over. 

Here are the best times to see it.

[21 June 2020 06:09 · anthony.cuthbertson]

The eclipse is currently passing over Ethiopia and there's some great views of it being shared on social media.

[21 June 2020 06:10 · anthony.cuthbertson]

Other views have been slightly obscured by the clouds.

[21 June 2020 06:15 · anthony.cuthbertson]

It might seem like common sense to most people, but just in case you need reminding: Do not look directly at the sun.

[21 June 2020 06:20 · anthony.cuthbertson]

In Ethiopia, US-based organisation Astronomers Without Borders has been handing out eclipse viewing glasses to people for free, allowing them to safely watch the event without damaging their eyes.

“Living in such uncertain times, we hope that by sharing across space and time the experience of witnessing the natural beauty of a solar eclipse we can help transcend borders, and bring a sense of peace and togetherness, which is so needed these days,” said Zoe Chee, interim executive director of Astronomers Without Borders.

“Thanks to the generosity of so many across the United States, we are excited to be able to offer access to this amazing celestial phenomenon to those who otherwise would have missed out.”

This kid is showing Trump how it's meant to be done.

[21 June 2020 06:24 · anthony.cuthbertson]

As the total eclipse moves towards the Middle East, the early stages can now be seen in India.