Astronomers and Skywatchers Amazed by Rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse over Australia and Southeast Asia.

Tens of thousands of people gathered to witness a rare hybrid solar eclipse that brought darkness to parts of Australia, Indonesia, and East Timor. The event occurs about once every decade, and the next one is not until 2031. The temperature dropped by 9 F when the moon's shadow fell upon the region. The eclipse was mostly over water, tracking from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Those in its path either saw the darkness of a total eclipse or a "ring of fire," with the sun peeking out from behind the new moon.