Astronomers share first photos from the partial solar eclipse on September 21, 2025 showing the Moon and Sun together

​Astronomers and skywatchers across several parts of the world captured the first photographs of the partial solar eclipse on Sunday, September 21, 2025. The event drew attention as the Moon appeared to take a visible “bite” out of the Sun, a view that could be observed from multiple regions depending on local weather and sky conditions.

First images of the September 21 partial solar eclipse

Todays partial solar eclipse.
Luckily the clouds stayed away until after maximum eclipse.
From South Canterbury, New Zealand
Lunt LS80tha and Grasshopper 3 camera#Eclipse pic.twitter.com/4FXNdXfTVK

— Paul Stewart (@astrostew) September 21, 2025

The images show the Moon slowly moving in front of the Sun and blocking part of its light. Unlike a total solar eclipse, where the Moon covers the Sun completely, this one was partial and only hid part of it. Viewers said that at the peak of the event, the Sun looked like a shadow had taken a bite out of its edge.

Astronomers vindicated that the alignment of this kind occurs when the Moon is in the path between Earth and the Sun but not in its wholeness covering the fragment of the sun. 

The images gathered during the circumstance now give not only records but also scientific significance.

Visibility and timing of the eclipse

The September 21 eclipse was only visible from specific parts of the world, the precise times of viewing depending on location. 

For some, the phenomenon occurred for a fleeting moment, but others were able to observe the Moon's shadow travelling across the Sun for several minutes longer. 

Experts warned everyone that viewing any solar eclipse needs to be done with proper eye protection. 

Solar glasses or telescope filters were needed to view the spectacle safely. Regular sunglasses are not adequate to filter the intense light of the sun that can cause permanent damage to one's eyes.

Scientific importance of solar eclipses

While solar declines are popularly observed, they also have scientific significance. Observing declines enables scientists to understand further about the external atmosphere and exertion of the Sun, known as its nimbus.

Since this was a partial decline and not as uncommon as a total decline, it was still a chance for experimenters to test outfit and collect data. Images of the event contribute to the expanding list of declines observed by professional astronomers and amateur suckers likewise.

Similar records can measure how constantly the events be, how they appear else, and how the route of the Moon engages with Earth and the Sun.

The September 21 partial solar decline precedes other significant important events that will appear in the coming many times. Declines, both total and partial, are common according to astronomers but do only at particular places and times. 

The following total solar decline visible in North America is on August 12, 2026, and will attract large crowds of spectators. Events like the September 21 partial decline continue to draw public interest. 

They also give people a chance to see more easily how the Earth, Moon, and Sun move together. For the time being, these filmland from this partial decline are marking the special alignment that permitted millions of individualities to shortly substantiation the Moon and Sun together in one picture.