"Hybrid Eclipse" Draws Thousands to an Australian Town

A solar eclipse on Thursday attracted thousands of people to the small coastal town of Exmouth on the west coast of Australia, to witness the rare astronomical event known as the "hybrid eclipse." Astronomers from various parts of the world also flocked to the remote town, located about 1,200 kilometers from the state capital, Perth. The world has not experienced such an eclipse since 2013. The moon completely obscured the sun for one minute at 11:29 AM local time (03:29 GMT), resulting in darkness and a drop in temperature. The total eclipse was visible in parts of Australia, Indonesia, and East Timor, while the partial eclipse was observed in the three countries and parts of Southeast Asia.