Australia witnesses total eclipse of the sun Tens of thousands of people across northern Australia have witnessed a total solar eclipse. The rare spectacle, where the moon passes between the sun and earth, hasn't been visible in the region for 1,300 years. There had been worries that the weather would ruin chances of seeing the rare sight. But the clouds covering the region cleared in time. One eclipse watcher was delighted at the sight: "We got the perfect clearing for it. It was absolutely amazing," he said. Another spectator, a teenage boy, said: "It's really cool. I've never seen anything like this before. The eclipse cast a 150 kilometre wide shadow and temperatures dropped rapidly as day turned into night. The darkness lasted for just over two minutes with watchers wearing special glasses to protect their eyes as the sun came back into view. The next total eclipse will be visible in 2015 in Iceland, the Faroe Islands and the far north of Norway. More about: Space science, Total solar eclipse