Partial solar eclipse thrills early risers

Stargazers in central, eastern and northern parts of China were treated to a partial solar eclipse on Sunday morning, the first of two solar eclipses viewable from China this year.

The eclipse began at around 7:40 am and reached its peak at around 8:30 am, blocking about a quarter of the sun. A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the sun and Earth but blocks only a portion of the sun.

The celestial event raised both excitement and disappointment on China's social media.