THOUSANDS of people traveled to Exmouth, Western Australia after news spread that the remote tourist town offered the best vantage points to watch the rare astronomical event.
The international crowd has been gathering for days, camping in tents and trailers on the northeast coast of Australia, with their cameras and other viewing equipment in tow as they came fully prepared to witness the phenomenal event.
Among the visitors who traveled to the remote town was NASA astrobiologist Dr. Henry Throop who said the total eclipse in Exmouth will provide an opportunity to understand what is happening inside the sun.
Dr. Throop described the rare celestial event as “fantastic” and “mind-blowing.” The NASA scientist was unable to hide his fascination the moment he saw the corona around the sun.
“Isn’t it incredible? This is so fantastic. It was mind-blowing. It was so sharp and it was so bright. You could see the corona around the sun there,” said Dr. Henry Throop, NASA astrobiologist.
Some tourists who traveled to Exmouth were first-time eclipse chasers that turned emotional seeing the solar eclipse transition before their eyes.
The hybrid solar eclipse on Thursday lasted for only 62 seconds but the international crowd waited for days and traveled thousands of miles just to witness the rare celestial event.
Besides Australia, the eclipse also crossed remote parts of Indonesia and East Timor, although Exmouth was promoted as the best spot to capture the spectacle that only a few people in the world were able to witness in person.
