Century's Longest Solar Eclipse

This combination of photographs shows the different stages of the total solar eclipse as seen from two locations on the outskirts of Gauhati, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. Millions of Asians turned their eyes skyward Wednesday as dawn suddenly turned to darkness across the continent in the longest total solar eclipse this century will see. Millions of others, fearing a bad omen, shuttered themselves indoors.

A funeral pyre is seen burning, right foreground, at Manikarnika Ghat, on the banks of the River Ganges, as the solar eclipse begins in Varanasi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. Hindu mythology says that the Earth will be destroyed the moment there is no single funeral pyre burning at Manikarnika Ghat.

People gather to observe the solar eclipse in Taregna, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. Scientists had said the Indian village of Taregna would have the clearest view, where thousands of scientists, nature enthusiasts and students gathered a day in advance. But thick clouds and overnight rains provided no spectacle, just a cloudy darkness.

People congregate on the banks of the River Ganges as the solar eclipse begins in Varanasi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia from India to China into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

Women offer prayers to the Sun God as they congregate on the banks of the River Ganges during solar eclipse in Varanasi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia, from India to China, into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

Hindu women offer prayers to the Sun God during the solar eclipse on the banks of the River Ganges in Calcutta, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia, from India to China, into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

A Hindu woman distributes rice to the poor during a solar eclipse in Calcutta, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. Hindus believe the act of giving to the poor during the eclipse will earn them peace and good fortune in life. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia, from India to China, into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

A woman brushes her teeth before taking a holy dip as people congregate on the banks of the River Ganges during solar eclipse in Varanasi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia, from India to China, into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

A man watches the solar eclipse on the banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia into near-darkness after dawn, as millions watched the once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon Wednesday.

Sadhus, or Hindu holy men, watch the solar eclipse through specially-designed viewing glasses in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia, from India to China, into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

A partial solar eclipse is seen behind the Golden Temple, Sikhs holiest shrine, in Amritsar, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. Millions of Asians turned their eyes skyward Wednesday as dawn suddenly turned to darkness across the continent in the longest total solar eclipse this century will see. Millions of others, seeing the rare event as a bad omen, shuttered themselves indoors.

Hindu devotees take holy dips in the Sangam, the confluence of the Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Sarawati, during the solar eclipse in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia, from India to China, into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

People take holy dips in the River Ganges at the start of the solar eclipse in Varanasi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia, from India to China, into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

A partial solar eclipse is seen rising against the historical monument Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia, from India to China, into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

Hindu devotees and holy men offer prayers as they take dips in the Ganges River during a solar eclipse in Varanasi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia into near-darkness after dawn, as millions watched the once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon Wednesday.

People congregate on the banks of the River Ganges at total solar eclipse in Varanasi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia, from India to China, into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

A partial solar eclipse is seen in Sipajhar, about 31 miles north of Gauhati, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia, from India to China, into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

A partial solar eclipse is seen in Baihata, about 22 miles west of Gauhati, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia, from India to China, into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

A total solar eclipse is seen from an aircraft over Patna, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia into near-darkness after dawn, as millions watched the once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon Wednesday.

A total solar eclipse is seen in Varanasi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia from India to China into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.