Ring of Fire from Cape Wrath . ... Credit Copyright: Hans Coeckelberghs Explanation: If the Moon's apparent diameter is not quite large enough to cover the Sun during a solar eclipse , an annular eclipse can be the result -- a spectacle of silhouetted Moon surrounded by a solar "ring of fire". Just such a view was possible for observers in the far northern hemisphere as the new Moon slid across the solar disk on May 31st. ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ...