The skies grew black in the middle of the day as the Moon slipped in front of the Sun and aligned with the Earth, blotting out the sun.
Scientists gathered on Chile's Easter Island to witness it. The eclipse, which was only visible from small sections of land, ended over southern parts of Chile and Argentina.
The eclipse started at 1815 GMT about 700km (440 miles) south-east of Tonga, and reached Easter Island by 2011 GMT. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking its rays and casting a shadow.
Bottom two photo's credit cosmos4u
