Annular solar eclipse Time lapse mosaic image of an annular solar eclipse A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun blocking the Suns light An annular eclipse is when the Earth is relatively close to the Sun near perihelion the Moon is relatively far from the Earth near apogee The disc of the Moon then appears smaller than that of the Sun so a ring or annulus of the Suns surface remains visible When the Earth is further from the Sun and closer to the moon the same alignment will result in a total solar eclipse Photographed on May over Toledo in Ohio USA
