A total solar eclipse drew an 11,000km arc over the Pacific, plunging remote isles into darkness in a heavenly display climaxing on Chile's mysterious Easter Island.
The skies grew black in the middle of the day as the moon slipped in front of the sun and aligned with Earth, blotting out the sunshine that just moments earlier had swathed the island's silent, ancient stone guardians.
Applause erupted from thousands of stargazers who began gathering days ago on this remote Chilean outpost for the rare eclipse.
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