Skywatchers in Qatar immersed in the fascinating experience of watching the rare 'ring of fire,' formed as part of the last solar eclipse of the year Thursday morning.

Hundreds of people thronged Katara Cultural Village early morning yesterday to catch a glimpse of the spectacular phenomenon from the Al Thuraya Planetarium.

The very rare natural event last occurred over Qatar sky one and a half-century back.

During the annular solar eclipse on Thursday, the sun appeared as the 'ring of fire' as the moon hid the solar disk except for the outer periphery.

More than 800 people from different age groups and nationalities were present at the planetarium to view the eclipse, according to a statement from Katara.

صور من عملية رصد " كسوف الشمس الحلقي " من أمام #القبة_الفلكية في #كتارا بحضور جماهيري غفير #قطر #الوعد2022#كتارا_ملتقى_الثقافات#كتارا_وجهة_ثقافية_سياحية pic.twitter.com/a1ogBzX2IN

— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) December 26, 2019

People used special filters and protective glasses to watch the eclipse as it’s not safe to observe an annular solar eclipse with naked eyes.

Sulaiman Hilal al Busaidi, an astronomical consultant at Al Thuraya Planetarium, said, "The phenomenon of the annular eclipse appeared first in 1901, and after all those years, we are observing once again this phenomenon."

He emphasized that appropriate devices have been provided to observe this rare spectacle from various telescopes with high scientific specifications in addition to providing special glasses (for eye protection) and distributing them among the audience.

The eclipse started partially at around 5.30 am and continued until 7.50 am, as the sunrise was at 6:17 am.

Visitors to the planetarium expressed their delight over watching the rare celestial and astronomical wonder.

Al Thuraya Planetarium recently celebrated its first anniversary after recording 34,347 visitors and 288 shows in Arabic, English, and Hindi.

The planetarium was set up to educate the public about the universe and modern sciences, and teach the young generations about the astronomical components in an interactive way.

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Cover Image Credit and Source: Qatar Tribune