PHOTOS: 'Ring of Fire' solar eclipse captured in striking visuals

Sunday's 'Ring of Fire' solar eclipse was certainly picturesque, recorded through the lens of viewers on the other side of the globe.

On Sunday, June 21, viewers in eastern Africa, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, northern India and central China were treated to spectacular views of the annular solar eclipse as it passed through the sky.

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Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, Canada and the rest of the West were able to view the eclipse online during the Slooh Community Observatory livestream.

Solar eclipses occur when the Sun, New Moon and the Earth line up perfectly. With this alignment, the Moon's shadow sweeps across the surface of Earth. From the view of anyone standing on the ground directly under that shadow, it appears as though the Moon has completely blocked out the Sun, to produce a total solar eclipse.

How much of the Sun gets obstructed by the Moon during a solar eclipse depends on two things - exactly how far away the Moon is from Earth, and exactly how far away Earth is from the Sun.

SOLAR ECLIPSE LIGHTS UP SOCIAL MEDIA

It didn't take long for visuals of the stunning solar eclipse to make their way onto social media, with photos and videos posted from around the globe. Below is just a selection of what is currently make the rounds online.

Thumbnail courtesy of Hong Kong Space Museum.

With files from Scott Sutherland, Weather Network meteorologist/science writer.