Marvel at these photos from the last solar eclipse of the decade

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A roadside vendor holds a special filter and watches a partial solar eclipse in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

(CNN) – The universe sent one last solar salute of the decade down to Earth on Christmas day -- or Thursday, December 26, depending on where you are in the world.

Commonly referred to as the "ring of fire" eclipse, this annular solar event occurs as the moon passes in front of the sun, covering the sun's center and leaving a blazing ring of light around the moon's silhouette.

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The celestial celebration wasn't visible from North America, but lucky watchers in parts of Indonesia, southern India, Oman and Saudi Arabia were able to see -- and capture breathtaking images -- of the eclipse.

If you missed the thrilling solar event, you can watch a time-lapse of the eclipse as seen from space on Space.com.

Correction: This piece has been updated to say the “ring of fire” eclipse is an annular solar event.


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