Tens of thousands have gathered in northern Australia in the hope of glimpsing a rare total solar eclipse.
The eclipse is expected to plunge parts of Queensland into darkness for just over two minutes on Wednesday morning.
However, onlookers fear cloudy weather will dash their chances of seeing the phenomenon.
A partial eclipse would be visible from other parts of the region, including New Zealand and eastern Indonesia, the Associated Press said.
However northern Australia is the only area in the eclipse’s direct path.
The total eclipse will be most clearly visible in Cairns, while areas such as Darwin, Brisbane and Sydney will also see partial eclipses, an ABC News eclipse guide said.
Australian tour operators have welcomed the surge in holiday-makers, with reports of some hotels being booked up more than three years in advance.
A total solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, is a rare occurrence, and animals have been known to react to the sudden darkness with confusion.
Scientists will be using underwater cameras at the Great Barrier Reef to capture creatures’ reactions to the eclipse.
“It’s an unknown with how they’ll react,” Jeff Gillies, Queensland Tourism’s regional director, said. “A little bit of flora and fauna confusion, I would imagine.”
Birds could also be affected, reports said.
“This is a relatively short eclipse but we will still find even in a short space birds will fall asleep,” said Dick Cijffers, an eclipse tourism operator.
