South Pacific witnesses 'ring of fire' solar eclipse

The Moai have been standing on Easter Island, which belongs to Chile, for more than 1,500 years. From the southern slope of Rano Raraku, the stone statues look out over a coastal plain shrouded in legend. On Wednesday, they witnessed a special celestial event.

There are many theories about the meaning and purpose of the Moai. The statues can be found in Rapa Nui National Park, which is administered by the Mau Henua Indigenous community. On Wednesday, visitors wearing native Rapa Hui costumes took a quick photo before the new moon shifted in front of the sun and the landscape sank into darkness.

Other visitors preferred to arm themselves with a telescope, so as not to miss a single detail of the celestial spectacle. Wednesday's eclipse could only be observed from a few places in the Southern Hemisphere, including Easter Island. And the weather also had to cooperate.

These horses in Rapa Nui National Park were still frolicking innocently ahead of the eclipse, unaware of what lay ahead. An eclipse can cause very different reactions in the animal kingdom, with horses often showing clear signs of stress. Other animals become calm, as if lulled into a sense night has come.

Onlookers on Easter Island gathered early on Wednesday to witness the special event, and national park staff handed out protective glasses to protect curious eyes. An annular solar eclipse — when the moon passes directly between the Earth and sun, briefly crowning it with a brilliant 'ring of fire' — is a rare event in any one place. The next such event won't happen in Chile before 2027.

The spectacular halo effect is related to the distance of the moon from the Earth. As the Earth's satellite is currently further away than usual, it appears slightly smaller in the sky and doesn't completely cover the sun during an eclipse.

The last time a total solar eclipse was seen in Germany was in August 1999; the next one won't be seen until September 2081.