Solar eclipse in Africa: As the moon passed in front of the sun yesterday, forming a spectacular 'ring of fire'

Stargazers in Africa were treated to the sight of a solar eclipse on Thursday, as the moon moved across the sun to form a perfect "ring of fire".
The spectacular sight was only visible to people in a narrow 100km belt stretching across central Africa, Madagascar and Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean.

At the eclipse's peak, all that was visible was a bright ring of light encircling a blackened moon.
The phenomenon, known as an annular solar eclipse, happens when there is a near-perfect alignment of the Earth, moon and sun.

Unlike a total eclipse, when the sun is blacked out, an annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon is too far from Earth to completely cover the sun.
Some 3,000 people wearing protective glasses gathered on the southwestern side of Réunion island to watch the astronomical phenomenon for several hours.

"I (once) saw a solar eclipse... but I have never seen an annular solar eclipse before," Austrian tourist Beate Sosz told Reuters. "It is great."
The next eclipse is due to take place in February 2017, and can be seen from parts of South America and Africa.