The hybrid solar eclipse has enamoured professionals and amateurs alike, as scientists hope to use the event to learn more about space weather.
The sun was only fully blocked out for 58 seconds, but the celestial event continued for hours.
Look back on Thursday's updates.
Key events
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Live updates
Watch a timelapse of the total solar eclipse
By Bridget Judd
A big thanks to Michael Goh from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research for this one.
Stay up to date with the latest news and analysis
By Bridget Judd
With the solar eclipse done and dusted, we'll wrap up our live coverage here. Thank you for following along with us today!
You can catch up on Thursday's developments below, or download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest news.
You can also catch up on the main wrap below 👇
This is the first of five total solar eclipses in Australia over the next 15 years
By Bridget Judd
The next total solar eclipse will be on July 22, 2028, and will be visible in parts of WA, the NT, south-west Queensland and NSW.
Dr Tanya Hill: It will pass directly over Sydney easily reaching millions of people, followed up by the total solar eclipse on July 13, 2037 that will reach Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
More often than not, eclipse chasers have to travel to remote locations to be able to experience totality and stand in the shadow of the Moon.
The next hybrid solar eclipse will be on November 14, 2031
By Bridget Judd
Prior to today, the last hybrid eclipse anywhere in the world was on November 3, 2013, and was visible as a total solar eclipse in parts of central Africa.
The next hybrid solar eclipse will be on November 14, 2031.
Did you know we will only have total solar eclipses for another 600 million years?
By Bridget Judd
Don't worry, we'll be blogging the entire time...
Professor John Lattanzio, president of the Astronomical Society of Australia, says it won't be something people will be able to experience forever.
John: It requires the moon to totally cover the Sun. But the moon is moving away from us and so we will only have eclipses for another 600 million years. Best to look at them now, while you have the chance!
The awe of a total solar eclipse is one way for everyone to experience the wonders of the Universe. We can understand the cause, so it is no mystery. But it is a wondrous experience that can open a mind to how the world works.
How the solar eclipse could help us learn more about space weather
By Bridget Judd
Dr Vanessa Moss is an astronomer at CSIRO, and was remotely operating their ASKAP radio telescope while it experienced a partial eclipse.
Vanessa: The telescope will be able to better measure the twinkling of galaxies in the vicinity around the eclipsed Sun. This twinkling is caused by the solar wind – charged particles emitted by the Sun – interfering with the light coming from the galaxies.
By understanding how the solar wind moves away from the Sun via radio telescopes, we can learn more about space weather and in future help to predict the conditions in space.
Here's how the Sun is currently looking at Exmouth
By Bridget Judd
As we heard earlier this morning, the eclipse, including the partial phases, was expected to run for about 2 hours and 58 minutes in total.
The final phase (partial) concluded at 1:02pm AWST/3:02pm AEDT.
It’s buzzing down at Onslow’s solar eclipse street party
By Bridget Judd
The ABC's Alice Angeloni is there and says festivities are expected to carry into the weekend.
Alice: Live music has just kicked off for the afternoon and evening, following the astronomical spectacle where 99 percent totality saw the lights dimmed down to near darkness.
The Waifs, and a string of other artists will perform at the eclipse street party today, with festivities carrying on into the weekend where Eskimo Joe will headline another free community concert on Saturday night.
There's a reason these shadows in Karratha look so trippy
By Bridget Judd
As you can see from the clip below, the shadows almost dance on the pavement in Karratha from the solar eclipse.
The ABC's science reporter Genelle Weule is here to help explain.
Genelle: That's so cool. That effect is caused by the projection of light from the eclipse through tree leaves, which act like pin hole cameras. So, the same thing as using colanders, but they are moving because the gaps between leaves are moving with the breeze.
About 76 per cent of the Sun was covered in Perth
By Bridget Judd
Some 200 people witnessed the event from the Perth Observatory, where there was a the sold-out viewing party.
Perth Observatory volunteer Tilly was excited to see the enthusiasm of children checking out the eclipse.
"They come and have a look, and it's great ... who knows, one of these people may go to Mars!"
Watch the solar eclipse in real time from the Exmouth Gulf
By Bridget Judd
The ABC's Chris Lewis was there and captured some incredible footage.
Over in Melbourne, crowds were able to experience a partial eclipse
By Bridget Judd
... and then the clouds rolled in.
Dr Tanya Hill, senior curator of astronomy at Museums Victoria, was watching along from Scienceworks.
Tanya: We had a great set up for the start of the eclipse… we were projecting an image of the Sun through the telescope, so that small crowds could see.
There was great excitement but unfortunately clouds rolled in during our maximum at 2:09pm. Graham is a volunteer at Scienceworks who set this up for us.
Watch the happiest man you'll meet all day
By Bridget Judd
Over in Exmouth, Henry had one word: "Incredible".
You can watch the full clip below 👇
Henry: It was so sharp and it was so bright, you could see the corona around the Sun there. Things got darker beforehand, and then it just looks like nothing else in the sky.
Watching a hybrid solar eclipse through... a Jatz
By Bridget Judd
Over at Blackwood River, east of Augusta, kids made pinhole cameras out of Jatz crackers and pink colanders to watch the big event (I'm told the cracker idea was a "hungry combination" from Joshua and Zach).
You can also use things like colanders as pin hole cameras to project a partial solar eclipse onto the ground.
Genelle: It's a really safe way of looking at a partial eclipse and instead of just getting one image of an eclipse you get lots of little crescents. The same thing happens if you are near trees, which create lots of little crescents on the ground.
In pictures: Western Australia looks up in awe for hybrid solar eclipse
By Bridget Judd
About 365 kilometres south of Exmouth, locals in Carnarvon were able to experience some incredible sights.
Over in Perth, where over 70 per cent of the Sun was covered, people lined streets in the CBD as office workers filed out of buildings to witness the spectacle.
People used glasses, phones, and DIY cardboard devices to safely look up.
What was that light coming from around the edge of the Sun?
By Bridget Judd
What is the light on the horizon of the most recent photos in the live update? Is it sunlight that is shining beyond the eclipse?
- Frances
Hey Frances, thanks for the question. Here's Genelle Weule:
Genelle: The light around the edge of the Sun (and shining off the Moon) is energy coming from the Sun. The red halo around the Sun is the chromosphere - the layer of plasma between the Sun's corona and its surface.
Here's the moment when the hybrid solar eclipse reached totality in Exmouth
By Bridget Judd
You just saw flares from the Sun, the diamond ring effect and Baily's beads
By Bridget Judd
What we just witnessed was pretty incredible.
Check out these unreal shots from the ABC's Chris Lewis, who is in the Exmouth Gulf.
Dr Tanya Hill: That was amazing!!! So happy that people at Exmouth were treated to such a gorgeous totality … the flares coming from the Sun, the lovely diamond ring effect and bailey beads.
But my favourite is still the corona, shimmering into space. The bonus of watching it online was seeing the thin crescent Sun .. that was such a surprise. So used to seeing a crescent Moon it was lovely getting the rare chance to see a crescent Sun.
Dr Kate Harborne: That was amazing! The light here is still very watery and thin as the sun grows again from behind the moon. I’m surprised by how strange everything feels, like the end of the day has arrived too soon and extended its stay. You can see why this causes pets to react strangely – it’s making me feel odd too!
I think my favourite part has been seeing how family and friends have reacted around me. There is palpable excitement and I feel very happy to be a part of this experience!
Over in Exmouth, skywatchers can't believe their eyes
By Bridget Judd
The ABC's Michelle Stanley is on the ground and caught up with some very happy punters.
So what happens now that totality is over?
By Bridget Judd
Over the next hour the Sun will gradually reappear — so basically the reverse order of what has just happened.
Genelle: Totality was just the 58 seconds in the entire 2 hour 58 minute and 3 second event. So there will be a partial eclipse that goes until 1:02:34 PM AWST.
Gradually over time, more of the Sun is uncovered until its fully back.
