Blazing Ring | Space Wallpaper

By Space.com Staff
published

Ring of Fire Sequence by Jia Hao 1920
“Highly Commended” by the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2013, this amazing space wallpaper is a composite shot showing the progress of an annular eclipse in May 2013. (Image credit: © Jia Hao | The National Maritime Museum | <a href="http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/astronomy-photographer-of-the-year/"> Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2013 </a>)

“Highly Commended” by Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2013 exhibition, this amazing space wallpaper is a composite shot showing the progress of an annular eclipse in May 2013. The Moon’s orbit about the Earth is not perfectly circular, so that at different times the Moon can be slightly closer or further away than usual. If the Moon passes in front of the Sun when it is at its furthest point, it will appear to be too small to entirely cover the solar disc. This is an ‘annular eclipse’ in which a ring, or annulus, of the Sun remains visible. Close to the horizon the distorting effects of Earth’s atmosphere can also be seen. This image was released Sept. 19, 2013.

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.