An annular solar eclipse took place on May 20, 2012. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, causing the Sun to look like a ring, blocking most of the Sun's light. An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region thousands of kilometers wide, also known as Ring of Fire. The annular phase was visible from the Chinese coast, northern Taiwan, the south of Japan, and the western part of the United States.