Solar eclipse sweeps across Indonesia and the Pacific

A solar eclipse enthralled people across Indonesia and the Pacific but clouds over some parts of archipelago spoiled the view for many of the skywatchers who had the opportunity to see it in totality.

There were cheers from crowds gathered on Micronesia in the western Pacific ocean as they witnessed the total eclipse.

In Palembang city, on the western island of Sumatra, in Indonesia, where the total eclipse should have been visible, cloudy skies and smog obscured the view for thousands of people who gathered outside shortly after daybreak.

"It was very annoying that we couldn't see the sun properly," said David Pratama, 18, as jeers of disappointment rose up in the crowd around him as the moon moved across the sun.

In Jakarta, hundreds of residents and school children flocked to city's planetarium where special viewing glasses were handed out to see the partial eclipse.

"We are very excited because it's our first time seeing something like this," said Santi who brought along her five-year old daughter to watch as the eclipse briefly dimmed the skies.

The eclipse was total in Indonesia and the Central Pacific, while parts of Australia and east Asia experienced a partial one.

Indonesia last saw a total eclipse in 1983 and it will be 33 years until the next one, according to the meteorological agency.

The world's next total solar eclipse will occur in August 2017 and be visible in the United States, according to NASA.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon casts a shadow on the earth as it passes between the earth and the sun.

A partial eclipse, more frequent than total eclipses, is when the earthpasses within the penumbra of the moon.