'Ring Of Fire' Eclipse Creates Amazing Morning Sky In MD: PHOTOS

MARYLAND — The "ring of fire" partial eclipse was visible in parts of Maryland Thursday morning, and residents captured striking images of the phenomenon.

The eclipse was visible in the region from around 5:42 a.m. to 6:29 a.m. Concern was originally high that overcast skies would block out the eclipse. Instead, clouds lifted overnight, which allowed the sliver of a sun to shine through, according to The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang.

The eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, creating a rare visual effect that was visible across North America. While not quite as dramatic as the hotly promoted total eclipse in the summer of 2017, Thursday's event was still unique.

"Since the Moon does not block the entire view of the Sun, it will look like a dark disk on top of a larger, bright disk," NASA said. "This creates what looks like a ring of fire around the moon."

Check out some of the photographs taken locally of the phenomenon that were shared on social media.

This photo was taken by Tyler Tate, president of Lewis Contractors in Owings Mills:

Did you take a good photograph of the eclipse and would like to see it featured on Patch? Email Maryland@Patch.com.

Even the White House photo staff joined in on the fun:

And here's more views from Twitter users: