Thousands throng to village in India for eclipse

[Coventina]

Source: Associated Press

TAREGNA, India — Scientists, students and nature enthusiasts prepared Tuesday for the longest total solar eclipse of this century, while millions planned to shutter themselves indoors, giving in to superstitious myths about the phenomenon.

The eclipse will first be sighted at dawn Wednesday in India's Gulf of Khambhat, just north of the metropolis of Mumbai, before being seen in a broad swath moving north and east to Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China.

The eclipse — visible only in Asia — will reach its peak in India at about 6:20 a.m. local time (8:50 p.m. EDT; 0050 GMT), and will last 6 minutes and 39 seconds at its maximum point. It is the longest such eclipse since July 11, 1991, when a total eclipse lasting 6 minutes, 53 seconds was visible from Hawaii to South America.

Wednesday's eclipse will be seen for 3 minutes and 48 seconds in the Indian village of Taregna, where scientists say residents will have the clearest view.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iX8d-T09U9BY--80N9QWImFwW2ewD99J01T81

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Dang. I wish I could see it.

:-(

[closeupready]

1. I remember the eclipse in 1991.

I was working in Chicago at the time, it was very hot and the skies were clear, and I recall that after the onset of the eclipse, the light was playing all kinds of weird tricks, optical illusions and such. Very weird experience.