By Wonderwall.com Editors
9:08am PDT, Apr 9, 2024
_
On April 8, 2024, the moon passed between Earth and the sun, briefly blocking the sun's light from parts of North America in a total solar eclipse. The shadow cast by this rare cosmic event rendered regions on the moon's "path of totality" as dark as they would be at night.
For viewers in and around the United States, the path of totality entered the country from Mexico, passing through Texas then arcing north and east to Canada's coast. The last total solar eclipse that could be seen from the contiguous United States was in 2017, but the next one won't arrive until Aug. 23, 2044.
In honor of the major celestial event, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at some of the most amazing eclipse photos we've seen through the years, starting with this one …
On May 20, 2012, the moon moved into a partial eclipse position after reaching annularity, the maximum phase of an annular eclipse. In this photo provided by NASA, sun spots can be seen as the moon partially eclipses the sun.
Unlike a total solar eclipse, the moon in an annular eclipse appears too small to cover the sun completely, leaving a ring of fire effect around the moon.
Keep reading for more…
MORE: Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more fun celebrity & entertainment photo galleries and content
_
In this handout provided by NASA, sun spots are seen as the moon moves into a partial eclipse position after reaching annularity on May 20, 2012.
This eclipse cast a shallow path as it crossed the West, from Texas to Oregon, then moved across the northern Pacific Ocean to Tokyo. It marked the first annular eclipse seen in the U.S. since 1994.
_
The sun rises over New York City during a solar eclipse seen from The Edge observatory deck at The Hudson Yards on June 10, 2021. Northeast states in the U.S. saw a rare eclipsed sunrise, while in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
_
The totality stage of a solar eclipse was seen above Jefferson City, Missouri, on Aug. 21, 2017.
_
This multiple exposure composite photo shows the stages of a solar eclipse on Aug. 11, 1999, as it appeared from the famous blue mosque In Istanbul.
_
In this photo, a solar eclipse is seen behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City on Aug. 21, 2017. While New York was not in the path of totality for this eclipse, around 72% of the sun was covered by the moon during the peak time of the event.
_
A "super blue blood moon," combining a total lunar eclipse and a super moon, is seen setting over the downtown Los Angeles skyline in this photo, taken on Jan. 31, 2018.
This image shows the first super blue blood moon that was visible in the U.S. since 1982. We won't see anotheruntil 2037, according to NASA.
_
Here, the first annular eclipse seen in the U.S. since 1994 wanes to a partial eclipse as the sun sets in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on May 20, 2012.
Differing from a total solar eclipse, the moon in an annular eclipse appears too small to cover the sun completely, leaving a ring of fire effect around the moon.
_
In this annular eclipse photo from May 20, 2022, spots are seen as the moon moves into a partial eclipse position after reaching annularity in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
_
The full Super Flower Moon rises behind the antenna on top of One World Trade Center in New York City, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey, before the start of a lunar eclipse on May 15, 2022.
_
A total lunar eclipse on May 15, 2022, created a "super blood moon" in Huntington Beach, California. This eclipse coincided with a super moon, which occurs when the moon is at its closest point to earth.
_
An 84% annular solar eclipse of the sun is seen in Santa Monica, California, on May 20, 2012. It was the first time in 18 years that an annular solar eclipse was widely observed in the U.S.
_
The sun is seen covered by the moon during a partial solar eclipse in Dinslaken, Germany, on Jan. 4, 2011.
_
The corona of the sun is seen around the moon during a total solar eclipse in Guadeloupe, Mexico, on Feb. 26, 1998.
_
Former President Donald Trump looked up at a solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017, without protective eyewear. He was memed mercilessly for it.
_
Here's another shot of then-President Donald Trump viewing the eclipse from the White House with his wife, Melania Trump, on Aug. 21, 2017.
According to PreventBlindness.org, "Exposing your eyes to the sun without proper eye protection during a solar eclipse can cause 'eclipse blindness' or retinal burns, also known as solar retinopathy. This exposure to the light can cause damage or even destroy cells in the retina (the back of the eye) that transmit what you see to the brain. This damage can be temporary or permanent and occurs with no pain. It can take a few hours to a few days after viewing the solar eclipse to realize the damage that has occurred."
_
An eclipse may also be viewed safely with the assistance of projection or viewing boxes, as these students from from Denver's Stephen Knight Elementary School opted to do during an 88% partial eclipse on Feb. 22, 1979.
_
Donald Trump eventually wore protective eyewear while viewing the eclipse in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 21, 2017.
'Atta boy!
_
Here, the moon is seen returning to visibility as it emerges from the Earth's shadow in the Denver area after a total eclipse on Sept. 6, 1979. This was the first total eclipse since 1975 and the last until 1982, according to the Denver Post.
