'Ring of Fire' solar eclipse sees millions turn out across Asia for spectacular Christmas sky

Astronomy enthusiasts and spectators gathered in Singapore on Boxing Day to catch a glimpse of the sun forming a ring of fire around the moon in a rare solar eclipse.

"It's kind of like Armageddon feels, but I think it's going to be really, really cool, and I can't wait to see it," said university student Isabelle Dyason ahead of the spectacle.

At Jurong Park in western Singapore, crowds watched through specially filtered visors and telescopes as the eclipse formed into a fiery circle in the sky.

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon covers the sun's centre, but leaves its outer edges visible to form a ring or annulus.

"This will be the first of only two annual eclipses visible from Singapore for the rest of the century. So in the sense, it's a very rare event for us," said Albert Ho, president of the Astronomical Society of Singapore.

The next chance for Singaporeans to view an annular solar eclipse will be in 2063, according to the Astronomical Society. The previous similar event was two decades ago.

From Brexit breaking news to HD movie trailers, The Sun newspaper brings you the latest news videos and explainers from the UK and around the world.

Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to be the first to know

Read The Sun:
Like The Sun on Facebook:
Follow The Sun on Twitter:
Subscribe to The Sun on Snapchat:

The Sun,news,breaking news,eclipse,solar,sun,moon,singapore,total eclipse,ring of fire,