Annular eclipse sequence. Montage of twenty-five images forming a sequence running left to right from top left to bottom right. An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is at a distant point, as opposed to the complete covering of the solar disc seen in a total solar eclipse, where the Moon is closer to the Earth. The time for the Moon to completely pass across the Sun is usually several hours, though the midpoint of maximum eclipse lasts only a few minutes. Photographed from Cleveland, Ohio, USA, during the 10 May 1994 annular solar eclipse.