Sun's EmbraceAn observer in Colorado stands framed by a partial solar eclipse in a picture taken last week and submitted to National Geographic's My Shot.Solar eclipses happen when the moon lines up between Earth and the sun. But in the most recent case, known as an annular eclipse, the dark moon's apparent diameter was smaller than the visible disk of the sun, so that it left a ring—or annulus—of fiery light around the edges.The event was the first annular eclipse seen from the mainland United States since 1994.
Photograph by Colleen Pinski, My Shot

Space Pictures This Week: Partial Eclipse, Dragon Capture

A crescent eclipse, a candy-colored galaxy, and a spaceflight milestone feature among this week's best space pictures.

May 31, 2012