Pretty much the entire continent of Asia is buzzing today as it awaits a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse coming on Wednesday. From India to China to Japan, folks are readying their special glasses and viewing equipment.
If you’re not in Asia, too bad. This is apparently going to be one of the longest-lasting and most memorable eclipses of the 21st century. The moon's shadow will travel 9,415 miles across the Earth for nearly three-and-a-half hours, casting large swaths of Asia in darkness. The path of the eclipse will cross from India's Bay of Cambay, over the Himalayas, across China, to the southern islands of Japan. Considering the billions living in China, India, and everywhere else along the way, experts are saying that this could very well be the most-viewed solar eclipse in history. That’s something to think about.
Residents and eclipse-chasers from all over the world are flocking to the bigger cities in the eclipse zone. Though the weather forecast looks grim in places like Shanghai, visitors are hopeful they'll be able to catch a glimpse of the spellbinding cosmic event.
For a much less spellbinding preview of the eclipse, check out this animation.
Photo: n0ll via Flickr (CC license)
