WORLD 22 Jul 2009 Asia and Oceania to see spectacular total solar eclipse 

A total solar eclipse will turn day to night for 6 min 39 sec at peak viewing areas in its path -- northern India, eastern Nepal, Bhutan, central China and several islands in the Pacific. The exceptional length of totality makes this eclipse a huge draw for enthusiasts. Japan's first eclipse in 46 years will be visible for more than 6 minutes from islands off the mainland that plan to limit visitors. Tours to other viewing areas are reported to be selling out. There will not be a longer eclipse until 13 Jun 2132.

The mountainous Japanese islands are very sparsely populated. In order to try to avoid a disaster caused by crowds of over zealous eclipse watchers, the villagers have handed over control of the event to a Japanese travel agency. It plans to hold a lottery for tickets for the right to see the 6-plus minutes of totality.

Other 6-minute-plus Pacific viewing areas are the Marshall Islands and Kiribati.

In Hangzhou, which is located just south of Shanghai, it will last for more than five minutes.

A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean.

Total solar eclipses happen on average about every 18 months. They are not created equal. Some last just a few seconds; others darken the sky for up to seven minutes. And where they occur makes a huge difference. Some eclipses can only be seen from aboard a ship. In other instances, weather and cloud cover ruin the experience for viewers.

Solar eclipses were feared events in ancient times -- the Chinese thought eclipses were caused when a dragon tried to swallow the sun.

RELATED READING:

NASA solar eclipse page
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009.html

Japanese island faces eclipse influx (BBC 4 Sep 2008)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7598382.stm

Tours are aligning to the East for 2009 total solar eclipse (USA Today 22 Jul 2008)
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-10-25-eclipse-travel_N.htm