RING OF FIRE ECLIPSE IN OZ

THIS RING of fire in the sky is the annular solar eclipse that wowed our cousins down-under. The moon moved across the sun for just a few minutes, with the maximum duration of four minutes and thirty seconds in Kowayama in Queensland. Local eclipse hunter Joseph Cali, 49, travelled to a spot near Newman in Western Australia to take the best pictures possible of this impressive natural phenomenon at maximum eclipse. Cali, a Laboratory Manager at the Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, captured the stunning natural wonder in a series of stunning snaps. An annular eclipse is different from a full solar eclipse where the moon totally blocks out the sun and only the atmosphere of the sun called the corona can be seen. During an annular eclipse, the moon is further away from our planet making it look smaller in relation to the sun. This means more of the sun can be seen and the ring produced by the moon moving across the sun is larger than a full eclipse.

Other great stories
ANGRY GIRAFFE DESTROYS BIKE

AN ANGRY giraffe gave a bush-riding cyclist a scare when he stomped his £2K bike into the dirt .

WORLD’S ONLY ONE ARMED PRO-DJ

DANCE guru Matt Howes leaves crowds in a spin when he gets behind the decks - as the world's only one-armed professional DJ .

MOUNT BROMO METEOR SHOWER

A SPECTACULAR array of stars fills the night sky as they soar over this active volcano .

SHARK WHISPERER BALANCES SHARK IN HIS HAND

Pic By Graham Gibson/ HotSpot Media - SHARK HYPNOTIST BALANCES SHARK IN PALM OF HIS HAND- In Pic - Diver Tom and Caribbean reef sharks in the Bahamas- A SHARK hypnotist balances these predators in the palm of his hand by sending them to sleep with a gentle nose rub .

SERENE ICEBERGS

A SERENE turquoise glow glimmers from underneath these powerful icebergs .

EERIE ABANDONED CHILDREN’S ORPHANAGE

Ornate chandeliers and mahogany panelling give a glimpse into this abandoned building's former glory after it's been left to rot for the past decade .

FROZEN BUBBLES CREATE STUNNING ICE CRYSTALS

A soap bubble lands on the frosty ground and creates a shimmering snow globe as crystals form around it .

NATURE PAPS

NATURE PAPARAZZIS prove you don't have to be Justin Bieber or Cheryl Cole to attract a pack of photographers .

SHOOTING IN WALSALL, TWO DEAD

Two people have been arrested after a man and woman were shot dead at a house in the Midlands in the early hours of this morning .

REAL LIFE ELF - WOMAN HAS EARS POINTED TO LOOK LIKE AN ELF

A Canadian woman who is obsessed with all things mythical has had her ears cut and shaped to look like an ELF .

ET PHONE THIS NUMBER: UK'S FIRST HOTLINE FOR ALIEN ABDUCTEES

The UK's first hotline - and possibly the galaxy's - for people who have been targeted by aliens has opened to the public .

DAUGHTER’S FACEBOOK PLEA FOR STRANGERS TO SAVE DYING MUM

A loving daughter has set up a Facebook page in a desperate plea to strangers, to donate a kidney to her dying mum .