Hybrid solar eclipse draws thousands to remote Australian town

Astronomy fans and enthusiasts from around the world travelled to Exmouth, a tiny beachside town roughly 1,200 kilometers from state capital Perth, to witness the total solar eclipse.

The moon crossed the sun for a minute at 11.29am local time (0329 GMT), plunging viewers into darkness and dropping the temperature.

Thursday's eclipse was a rare "hybrid" type, not seen worldwide since 2013. In a hybrid eclipse, depending on where viewers stand, the moon either blots out the sun, a total eclipse, or obscures the center while leaving a ring of light visible, an annular eclipse.

Peter Bartley made the fifteen hour drive from Perth with his kids and father for the "special moment" together.

"It was a hard sell at the beginning because I told them it would only be for a minute and it was going to take fifteen hours to get here," said Bartley.

"But it was probably the most exciting minute that we've had for a long time."

While the total eclipse was only visible from a few parts of Australia, Indonesia and Timor Leste, a partial eclipse was visible across all three countries and parts of southeast Asia.

In Jakarta, the light dimmed and the sun took on the appearance of a sickle moon, according to photos shares on social media.

A group of Japanese fans who had travelled to Exmouth burst into tears and hugged after the eclipse ended, according to video footage from the event.