annular eclipse

American

noun

an eclipse of the sun in which a portion of its surface is visible as a ring surrounding the dark moon.

annular eclipse British

noun

an eclipse of the sun in which the moon does not cover the entire disc of the sun, so that a ring of sunlight surrounds the shadow of the moon Compare total eclipse partial eclipse

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

annular eclipse Scientific

See under eclipse

Etymology

Origin of annular eclipse

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I have an assortment of neutral density filters because I had previously photographed an annular eclipse, when the moon is farther away in its Earth orbit and therefore doesn’t block the entirety of the sun.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 14, 2024

In a total eclipse, the Moon fully blocks the Sun from Earth view, while during an annular eclipse, a narrow ring of sunlight can be seen encircling the Moon.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2024

Maybe you experienced Saturday’s annular eclipse and just can’t get enough.

From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2023

It's called an annular eclipse because just a thin ring, or annulus, of light remains visible.

From BBC • Oct. 10, 2023

His notice of "Baily's Beads," during an annular eclipse of the sun on the 15th of May 1836, at Inch Bonney in Roxburghshire, started the modern series of eclipse-expeditions.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 "Baconthorpe" to "Bankruptcy" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023