Black Hole Sun

Black Hole Sun

Credit: Phil McGrew

California photographer Phil McGrew captured this image of the moon covering the sun's face from Pyramid Lake, Nevada. The solar eclipse occurred May 20, 2012, and was visible over much of the western U.S.

Setting Solar Eclipse

Setting Solar Eclipse

Credit: John Mitchell

The setting sun is partially eclipsed by the moon on May 20 in this photograph taken 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Tulsa, Okla. The May 20 solar eclipse was visible from parts of Asia, the Pacific and the western United States.

Solar Trio

Solar Trio

Credit: Mila Zinkova, Used with permission.

Beauty of the eclipse revealed in this composite image of the annular solar eclipse, captured on May 20,2012, from Red Bluff, Calif.

Bite Out of the Sun

Bite Out of the Sun

Credit: John Mitchell

The beginning stages of the May 20 solar eclipse, seen just before sunset in eastern Oklahoma.

Solar Eclipse View

Solar Eclipse View

Credit: John Mitchell

The May 20 eclipse was visible in the western United States. This photo was taken southeast of Tulsa, Okla.

Sunset Eclipse

Sunset Eclipse

Credit: John Mitchell

The eclipse took on a deep red tone as the sun set over Oklahoma.

Colorado Eclipse

Colorado Eclipse

Credit: Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience

The beginning of the eclipse projected onto the big screen at the University of Colorado's Folsom Stadium in Boulder, Colo. Thousands of skywatchers showed up at the stadium for a giant eclipse-viewing party.

Close-Up Eclipse

Close-Up Eclipse

Credit: JAXA/NASA/Hinode

The joint JAXA/NASA Hinode mission captured this images of an annular eclipse of the Sun on May 20, 2012. Eclipses are handy for scientists, who sometimes use the moon's edge as a target to focus and calibrate their equipment.

eclipse new mexico medendorp

eclipse new mexico medendorp

Credit: Charles Medendorp

Skywatcher Charles Medendorp took this photo of the annular eclipse at the Very Large Array outside Socorro, New Mexico, on May 20, 2012.

joson annular eclipse sequence

joson annular eclipse sequence

Credit: Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre

Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre recorded the May 20th annular eclipse of the Sun in from Page, Ariz., using a solar-filtered Takahashi FC-60 telescope and a Canon EOS 20D digital SLR camera.

Canada's Eclipse

Canada's Eclipse

Credit: MarkAnth, via Flickr.

The eclipse was only visible for a few minutes before sunset in London, Ontario, Canada.

Sun Goes Dark

Sun Goes Dark

Credit: David Yu, via Flickr

Photographer David Yu took this eclipse shot from San Francisco on May 20.

Strange Sun

Strange Sun

Credit: David Yu, via Flickr

An odd camera artifact turns the eclipse over San Francisco into a triple crescent sun.

Behind the Maple Leaves

Behind the Maple Leaves

Credit: Elon Gane Photography

Photographer Elon Gane snapped this photo on May 20, during the annular solar eclipse, from El Dorado Springs, Mo. "We had pretty good visibility here, some clouds did block some of it at first, but as the eclipse progressed they were not a problem," Gane told LiveScience.

Clouds Clearing

Clouds Clearing

Credit: Elon Gane Photography

"Earlier, Clouds were threat[en]ing to block it! but they cleared out later :-)," photographer Elon Gane wrote on his Flickr site of this eerily beautiful photo take in El Dorado Springs, Mo.

Pinhole Eclipse

Pinhole Eclipse

Credit: Photo courtesy Doug Duncan, University of Colorado

A loosely-woven blanket held up at Folsom Stadium in Boulder, Colo. provides a pinhole effect. A close look at the shadows reveals hundreds of little crescent shapes, shadows cast by the eclipsing sun.