Apart from today's Melbourne Cup, another reason for jetsetters, kibitzers, stargazers and what nots to pack their bags and travel to Australia is the highly-anticipated total solar eclipse on November 14, an hour after sunrise (afternoon of Tuesday, Nove
Apart from today's Melbourne Cup, another reason for jetsetters, kibitzers, stargazers and what nots to pack their bags and travel to Australia is the highly-anticipated total solar eclipse on November 14, an hour after sunrise (afternoon of Tuesday, November 13, in the United States). Reuters

In the early hours of Monday morning, millions of people across Asia witnessed an astonishing solar eclipse, as the moon and sun aligned to darken the Pacific region and cast a beautiful golden ring in the sky. The incredible footage was captured by Reuters and China Central Television, showing the various stages of the celestial event in China and Taiwan.

The so-called 'ring of fire' eclipse directly passed over Tokyo, where people came out in large numbers with filters and pinhole projectors in order to view the wonderful sight. The rare eclipse could be seen as far as the United States, where thousands of people massed in Utah to witness the sight.

Watching the event with crowds of other in Toyko, Kaori Sasaki told the BBC, "It was a very mysterious sight - I've never seen anything like it."

A Solar eclipse occurs when the moon's orbit passes between the Sun and the Earth, causing the Sun to become fully or partially covered. Whilst solar eclipses are fairly common, with on average 2.4 occurring every year, an annular eclipse is much rarer where the moon is at the farthest point from Earth, leading to more of the sun being blocked, and creating the 'golden ring' effect in the sky.