Eclipse hunters were overcome with emotion as the small Western Australian town of Exmouth was plunged into darkness during a rare total solar eclipse.
More than 20,000 people cheered as moon covered the sun for the 62-second event at 11.29am, while others shed a few tears.
Preparation for the celestial show has been years in the making for the community of just under 3000 people.
Eyes gaze upwards as sky turns black
Temperatures dropped by 3.4 degrees at Carnarvon Airport between 10.23am and 11.30am local time, according to Weatherzone.
While the view from earth was limited to a thin sliver of land and ocean, the Himawari-9 satellite 36,000km above the earth's surface, captured a remarkable view of the event.
The image shows a shadow of the moon passing across the earth's surface, moving over the Indian Ocean before skimming WA and continuing towards Indonesia and the Timor Sea.
The rare celestial show was visible in other parts of the country.
Total silence before eclipse
Exmouth fell silent as the rare total eclipse plunged the community into darkness before crowds erupted into applause.
Rick Tonnello from the Gravity Space Centre spoke to 9News in the lead-up to totality.
"Oh my gosh, that's just gone really dark," Tonnello said.
"We have such little time, just take it all in - the sunset and the planets.
"That's the most incredible thing I've ever seen.
"That's absolutely stunning, I'm lost for words."
As the moon shifted away from the sun and light returned to the town, many residents were overcome by the emotion of the event.
"We seem to have lost something in the modern day technologies that to go out there and simply look at the night sky or look at a celestial phenomenon like this really stirs something deep in the human psyche," Tonnello said.
"It just puts us more back in touch with the universe in which we live.
"I didn't think I'd get emotional but I did."
9News weather presenter Scherri-Lee Biggs was overcome with emotion as she crossed live from the town.
"The atmosphere has been just electric down here," she said.
"I didn't think I'd get emotional but I'm wiping away tears."
WA Chief Scientist Peter Klinken said the total eclipse was a significant event for the state.
"They're rare events, they're very special," Klinken said.
"Over the next 20 years there's going to 13 total eclipses of which four will be in WA."
Eclipse-hunter Lesley Bound travelled from the United Kingdom to have a front-and-centre view of the eclipse.
"We couldn't have better weather, so I'm very excited," Bound said.
"It's been amazing. It's my first trip to Australia and I love it.
"I fell in love with Perth and I'll definitely be back."
Eclipse events hold a special place in the hearts of couple Chris and Louise, who travelled from the Netherlands for the celestial show.
Chris proposed to Louise during the last eclipse in Argentina several years ago.
"It was straight after the second diamond ring. He said, 'I can't promise you a diamond ring as big as that but will you marry me?'" Louise said.
Years in the making
Exmouth Shire Council President Darlene Allston said years of planning had gone in to prepare the region for the influx of visitors.
An observation platform was erected and today special purpose solar eclipse glasses were handed out to eclipse gazers.
"We have done all we can do to sort of deliver the safe event for all of the people that have travelled here today," Allston said.
"So it is going to be busy here and certainly all eyes I suppose will be on Exmouth for that 62 seconds of darkness today."
Science commentator Dr Karl Kruszelnicki said Australians were "lucky" to witness the event.
"It is actually a hybrid eclipse," he explained.
"So for part of the eclipse it will be a total eclipse.
"For part of it, it will be a ring, depending where you are.
"It is lovely to see the fingernail moon. The universe is giving us something for free.
"We are lucky."
Kruszelnicki added that staring directly at the sun is not recommended as even a brief glimpse can cause eye damage.
"If you can see any of the actual sun surface, turn away," he said.
"Do not look at it with the naked eye."
Instead, eclipse gazers were urged to use special-purpose "eclipse glasses" or hand-held solar viewers that meet international standards.
Alternatively, a pinhole projection through a large card also gave a sense of the spectacle.
This type of viewer can be easily made at home.
When did the eclipse start?
That all depended on your location.
In Exmouth, the partial eclipse started at 10.04am (AWST) with totality - when the sun was blocked by the moon - coming at 11.29am and lasting 62 seconds.
Perth: 10am
Darwin: 12.17pm
Adelaide: 12.30pm
Melbourne: 1.15pm
Hobart: 1.24pm
Canberra: 1.29pm
Sydney: 1.36pm
Brisbane: 1.43pm
When will the next eclipse occur?
The total eclipse today is one of two eclipses to occur in 2023, but it's the only one to be visible in Australia.
On October 14 an annular ("ring") eclipse will sweep across western and southern US, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Central America, southern Colombia and northern Brazil.
The next total solar eclipse to be observed in Australia will be on July 22, 2028, which will cross from the Kimberley to Sydney.
The last total solar eclipse occurred in 2012 and plunged Cairns into darkness, while WA's last total solar eclipse was in 1974.
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2023-04-20 10:18:16Z
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