Temple of the Sun with Annular Solar Eclipse, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Framed by a natural cave, an annular solar eclipse is visible over the Temple of the Sun, a 402-foot (123-meter) monolith in the Cathedral Valley of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. In an annular solar eclipse, such as this one on October 14, 2023, the moon is more distant from the Earth and does not appear large enough in the sky to completely obscure the face of the sun. Even at maximum eclipse, the sun is visible around the moon, creating a ring of fire effect. While more than 90 percent of the sun was blocked, it was still so bright it required two separate camera exposures that were later blended to show both the sun and the landscape. Temple of the Sun is composed of Entrada Sandstone, sediment left behind 160 million years ago when a large sea covered the area.

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Image Size: 5464x8192 / 12.8MB; Temple of the Sun Cathedral Valley sun moon eclipse annular solar ring fire ring of fire cave framed monolith Capitol Reef Capitol Reef National Park Utah nature landscape sandstone erosion Entrada silhouette geology
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Framed by a natural cave, an annular solar eclipse is visible over the Temple of the Sun, a 402-foot (123-meter) monolith in the Cathedral Valley of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. In an annular solar eclipse, such as this one on October 14, 2023, the moon is more distant from the Earth and does not appear large enough in the sky to completely obscure the face of the sun. Even at maximum eclipse, the sun is visible around the moon, creating a ring of fire effect. While more than 90 percent of the sun was blocked, it was still so bright it required two separate camera exposures that were later blended to show both the sun and the landscape. Temple of the Sun is composed of Entrada Sandstone, sediment left behind 160 million years ago when a large sea covered the area.