Southeast Asia experiences rare total solar eclipse

A partial solar eclipse is seen on the Independence monument in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 9, 2016. [Photo/IC]

The rare phenomenon has brought tourists flooding into Southeast Asia's biggest economy, with events such as music festivals and night markets organized around it.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon casts a shadow on the earth as it passes between the earth and the sun. A partial solar eclipse, more frequent than total eclipses, is when the earth passes within the penumbra of the moon.

The last total solar eclipse, in March 2015, was only visible from near the North Pole, while in China, the last total solar eclipse happened on June 22, 2009.