Starting just after dawn, the eclipse cast its 95-mile shadow in Australia's Northern Territory, crossed the northeast tip of the country and was swooping east across the South Pacific, where no islands are in its direct path.—Photo by AP

Eclipse-hunters have flocked to Queensland's tropical northeast to watch the region's first total solar eclipse in 1,300 years on November 14, which occurred as the moon passed between the earth and the sun, casting a shadow path on the globe and lasting for a maximum on the Australian mainland of 2 minutes and 5 seconds.—Photo by AP

Clouds obscure the moon passing in front of the sun as it approaches a full solar eclipse in the northern Australian city of Cairns November 14, 2012.—Photo by Reuters

Totality is shown during the solar eclipse at Palm Cove in Australia's Tropical North Queensland on November 14, 2012.—Photo by AFP

In some cultures, solar eclipses have been attributed to supernatural causes or regarded as bad omens. People unaware of its astronomical causes can be apprehensive about the occurrence as the sun completely disappears for a few minutes.—Photo by AP

The moon passes in front of the sun during a full solar eclipse at Palm Grove near the Australian city of Cairns. A rare full solar eclipse plunged north Queensland into darkness for two minutes early on Wednesday, delighting the thousands of people who had gathered on the Australian state's beaches. In Cairns, the main city in north Queensland and a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, cloudy skies and occasional rain partly obscured the view, but elsewhere viewing conditions were more favourable.—Photo by Reuters

In this photo provided by Tourism Queensland, a hot air balloon floats in the air as a solar eclipse is observed near Cairns, in Queensland state, Australia, Wednesday.—Photo by AP

The Diamond Ring effect is shown following totality of the solar eclipse at Palm Cove in Australia's Tropical North Queensland.—Photo by AFP