Updated: May 24, 2012 at 2:21 AM

Annular solar eclipse occurs in U.S. (19 images)

The eclipse was seen by millions of viewers from China and Japan to the Western USA as the earth's rotation positioned the Far East and USA under the moon's shadow. The two hour long even reached maximum coverage, or annularity, for approximately four minutes as the sun was blocked by the moon at 6:34 PM local time.

Photographer, Katie Darby of Atlanta, Georgia sets up her cameras in preparation to document the annular eclipse as it occurs in the skies over Monument Valley National Park, Arizona on May 20, 2012..The two hour long even reached maximum coverage, or annularity, for approximately four minutes as the sun was blocked by the moon at 6:34 PM local time. .UPI/Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell

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A pair of binoculars are used to project an image during the viewing of an annular solar eclipse from the Redfield Campus of the University of Nevada Reno, on May 20, 2012 in Reno, Nevada. The eclipse reached 96% totality. UPI/Terry Schmitt

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