Thousands Flock To See Easter Island Eclipse Stargazers who gathered for days on a remote Chilean outpost have been treated to a total solar eclipse.
The rare eclipse lasted just under five minutes and drew a 6,835-mile arc over the Pacific last night.
Remote isles were plunged into darkness with the heavenly display culminating above the Polynesian Easter Island, which lies some 2,175 miles off the coast of Chile.
"It was like being in the stadium at night with artificial light. It was like being in a dark room with a 10-watt bulb," said one awe-struck local official.
"It started with a shadow. The skies were perfectly blue, with lots of wind that chased away the clouds. Everyone applauded.
"We saw a luminous object near here and people started saying they were sure it was a UFO."The eclipse began about 435 miles south east of Tonga, zipping in an easterly arc to cloak Easter Island.
It culminated in a pass across southern Chile and Argentina, where it came to an end just before nightfall in Patagonia.
Some 4,000 tourists, scientists, photographers, filmmakers and journalists flocked to the Easter Island World Heritage site of only 99 square miles, doubling the barren island's population.

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