The Sun is covered by the Moon during a total solar eclipse in the Indian city of Varanasi on July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century cast a shadow over much of Asia.
Credit: AFP/Pedro Ugarte
The path of the total solar eclipse on July 22 swept across nearly half of the planet, beginning in India and ending in the Pacific Ocean.
Credit: NASA/Fred Espenak
VARANASI, INDIA: The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century cast a shadow over much of Asia on Wednesday, plunging hundreds of millions into darkness across the giant landmasses of India and China.
Ancient superstition and modern commerce came together in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity likely to end up being the most watched eclipse in history, due to its path over Earth's most densely inhabited areas.
While bad weather confounded some eclipse watchers, tens of thousands of people gathered at dawn on the banks of the Ganges river in Varanasi where a largely cloudless morning offered a stunning view.
"Nothing compares"
With Hindu priests conducting special prayers, the crowds cheered and then raised their arms in salutation as the Sun re-emerged from behind the Moon, before they took a spiritually purifying dip in the river's holy waters.
A total solar eclipse usually occurs every 18 months or so, but Wednesday's spectacle was special for its maximum period of "totality" – when the Sun is wholly covered by the Moon – of six minutes and 39 seconds. Such a lengthy duration will not be matched until the year 2132.
"Nothing can compare to a total solar eclipse," said veteran NASA eclipse chaser Fred Espenak, who watched the eclipse from the Pacific Ocean.
"You're putting all your eggs in one basket when you go on a solar eclipse expedition because you've only got [several] precious minutes when you've got that opportunity to see the Sun's corona," he said. "All the equipment has to be working perfectly. The weather has to cooperate. You've got to be at the right place at the right time."
Cutting a path along the Yangtze
State-run China Central Television provided minute-by-minute coverage of what it dubbed "The Great Yangtze River Solar Eclipse" as the phenomenon cut a path along the river's drainage basin.
Millions of people in areas of southwestern China enjoyed a clear line of sight, according to images broadcast on CCTV, but the view was obstructed along much of its path by cloudy weather.
Shanghai viewers braved rain and overcast skies to witness the spectacle as darkness shrouded China's commercial hub at 9:36am local time (11:36am, Sydney time).
"It is working hours now, but with such a spectacle going on, you don't want to miss it. The experience is truly thrilling," said Allen Chen, a Shanghai office worker, who stepped out into the street to witness the event.
And despite the weather, hotels along Shanghai's famed waterfront Bund packed in the customers with eclipse breakfast specials.
Those who could afford it grabbed expensive seats on planes chartered by specialist travel agencies that promised extended views of the eclipse as they chased the shadow eastwards.
