ABC News June 10, 2021

Solar eclipse visible in US for 1st time since 2017

WATCH: Viewing 'Ring of Fire' solar eclipse from an airplane
By Rosa Sanchez

A "ring of fire" solar eclipse was visible Thursday in the U.S. for the first time since 2017.

Julio Cortez/AP
A partial solar eclipse rises behind clouds, June 10, 2021, in Arbutus, Md.

The event -- which occurs when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun's light -- illuminated the sky shortly after 5 a.m. EDT.

Brian Lawless/PA via AP
A statue of Our Lady, Star Of The Sea on Bull Wall in Dublin, is silhouetted against the sky during a partial solar eclipse, June 10, 2021.
MORE: How to see 'Ring of Fire' solar eclipse, 1st visible in US since 2017

NASA started livestreaming the spectacle on its website in the early morning.

Justin Lane/epa-efe/shutterstock/Justin Lane/EPA via Shutterstock
A partial solar eclipse rises over bridges crossing the East River in New York, June 10, 2021.
Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP
An annular solar eclipse rises over the skyline of Toronto, June 10, 2021.

The eclipse could be seen in northeastern North America and northern regions of Europe and Asia.

Seth Wenig/AP
The sun is partially eclipsed as it rises over lower Manhattan in New York, June 10, 2021.

NASA had said it would begin around 4 a.m. and end at 9:11 a.m. ET in the northeastern U.S., but time of maximum eclipse varies by location, according to the Farmer's Almanac.

MORE: Total solar eclipse wows crowds across the US

Though the moon blocked some of the sun's light Thursday morning, NASA emphasized on Twitter that it's "never safe to look directly at the Sun," and advised people to wear eclipse glasses or use an indirect viewing method to watch the eclipse.

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