Millions across the Pacific flock to see the only solar eclipse of 2016

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Thousands of tourists and astronomy enthusiasts flocked to Indonesia to catch the country's first solar eclipse in nearly 33 years.
The eclipse was also visible in parts of Australia and south-east Asia. The phenomenon has brought tourists flooding to Indonesia, but only some parts of the country got to see the sun totally eclipsed by the moon, which happened almost immediately after the sun rose.

Because the moon's shadow crosses the international date line, it appeared in the afternoon of the 8th in some regions, despite being visible from the morning of the 9th in others.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon casts a shadow on the earth as it passes between the earth and the sun. At least twice a year, the orbits of the moon and Earth block the sun to cause a shadow on Earth.

Most eclipses are partial, but when the moon is in close to the earth, it results in a total eclipse.

The last total solar eclipse was in March 2015, and the one before that was in November 2012.

The total eclipse is visible within a roughly 62 to 93-mile (100-150km) wide path that starts in the Indian Ocean and slices across parts of Indonesia including Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi before ending in the northern Pacific Ocean.