Solar eclipse shines a 'ring of fire' over Easter Island and Patagonia

As the sun darkens, people gather outside, chanting and celebrating to catch a glimpse of the eclipse

An annular solar eclipse is observed from Tahai archaeological monument area in the Rapa Nui national park managed by the Mau Henua native community at Easter Island, Chile Oct 2, 2024. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

The moon blotted out most of the sun across the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday afternoon, giving just a few specks of land an impressive annular "ring of fire" eclipse.

Only Easter Island and a small area near the southern tip of Chile and Argentina witnessed an annular eclipse, lasting just a few minutes.

"The ring of fire is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Rocio Garcia, a tourist on Easter Island told Reuters on Tuesday. "Especially here in Rapa Nui with the Moai in the background it will be spectacular."

An annular eclipse happens when the moon is too far away from Earth to completely blot out the sun, like a total eclipse, creating a dark silhouette surrounded by a bright ring of light called an antumbra, or more casually, a "ring of fire".

As the sun darkened over the island on Wednesday afternoon, people gathered outdoors, chanted, played music, and wore special eyewear to catch a glimpse of the eclipse.

"I got excited when people were shouting. Everybody's fervour made it more exciting," said Alejandra Astudillo, an Easter Island resident.

An estimated 175,000 people live in the path of the eclipse's annularity, giving far-flung residents and eclipse-chasing tourists a stunning view.

"It was an extraordinary phenomenon that's not often seen," said Esteban Sanchez in Las Horquetas, Argentina, one of the few towns in the eclipse's direct path. "This is the first time I've seen that and it was really good."

The southern half of South America, along with parts of Antarctica and Hawaii, saw a partial eclipse according to a map plotted out by NASA.