Partial eclipse seen through clouds in Himachal

July 22nd, 2009 CHONGQING - A total solar eclipse was observed at many places in China Wednesday morning, officials said. At 9.15 a.m., many places in the upper reaches of China's longest river, the Yangtze, were engulfed in total darkness.

July 22nd, 2009 SHIMLA - Partly cloudy sky Wednesday morning in most parts of Himachal Pradesh marred the early moments of one of nature's greatest spectaculars - the century's longest total solar eclipse, weather officials here said. "Clouds in most parts of the hill state remained an intermittent problem, with most areas reporting partly overcast conditions," meteorological office Director Manmohan Singh said.

July 22nd, 2009 HYDERABAD - A group of rationalists gathered here Wednesday morning to not just watch the longest solar eclipse of the century but also tuck into breakfast in an attempt to remove superstitious beliefs from the minds of people. While the dark clouds blocked the view of the partial eclipse, they went ahead with their meal on the banks of the picturesque Hussain Sagar Lake in the heart of the city to prove a point.

July 22nd, 2009 LHASA - Tibet's Cona county was one of the first places in China to view the solar eclipse, which occurred at 8:01 a.m Wednesday, according to an observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). However, the solar view from Cona was blocked by overcast, according to sources from the CAS Purple Mountain Observatory based in Nanjing, eastern Jiangsu province.

July 22nd, 2009 BANGALORE - Compromising on their daily dose of sleep, hundreds of Bangaloreans woke up early morning to witness the century's longest solar eclipse Wednesday, but clouds played spoilsport during their much awaited adventure. Around 200 scientists, research scholars and other people gathered at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden at 5.30 a.m.

July 22nd, 2009 TAREGNA - The overcast skies cast a dampener and the rare celestial event unfolded behind rain clouds, disappointing the many thousands from India and the world. But the clouds did part momentarily to let the crowds glimpse the century's longest solar eclipse.

July 22nd, 2009 SURAT - Scientists, tourists and school children in Gujarat were left disappointed Wednesday as heavy clouds blocked the view of the total solar eclipse. "Some darkness was felt in Surat around 6.25 a.m.

July 22nd, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Those who had hoped to witness the century's longest solar eclipse in Orissa were disappointed Wednesday as the sky remained overcast in most parts of the state. Thousands of people woke up early in the morning and were armed with special glasses to see the phenomenon.

July 22nd, 2009 HYDERABAD - People in this south Indian city were disappointed as dark clouds blocked the view of the partial solar eclipse Wednesday morning. The overcast skies proved a dampener for scientists, school children and other enthusiasts who had made arrangements to watch the rare celestial event.

July 22nd, 2009 TAIPEI - Tens of thousands of people in Taiwan watched Wednesday's partial solar eclipse, but few said they still believe in superstitions that the eclipse could spell disaster. In Taipei, clusters of people gathered in squares, parks and on rooftops to try to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon, which appeared as a total eclipse in parts of India, Nepal, China and Japan and a partial eclipse in other areas of Asia.

July 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Cloudy skies in large parts of northern and western India Wednesday marred a clear view of the century's longest total solar eclipse but the celestial spectacle was clearly visible over Varanasi. Tens of thousands of people across the country rose early to see the eclipse that was to begin at the earliest at 5:29 a.m.

July 21st, 2009 MUMBAI - Did you know animals and birds often prepare for sleep or behave confusedly during total solar eclipse? Well, here are some other little known facts about solar eclipse. - The longest recorded duration for a total solar eclipse is 7.5 minutes.

July 21st, 2009 SURAT - A seminar on solar eclipse was held here on Monday as the country prepares to witness a total solar eclipse on July 22, the last of the kind to be visible in the country for the next 105 years. In India, Surat, Vadodra, Indore, Bhopal, Varanasi and Patna are ideal locations for good views of the total solar eclipse A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the earth, blocking out the sun from the areas in the moon's shadow.

January 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The first solar eclipse of the year was partially visible in some parts of India and observed by various people Monday afternoon. The eclipse started at 2.15 p.m.

January 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Sky gazers in some parts of India will get an opportunity to observe a partial solar eclipse Jan 26. The eclipse, first for the year, will start at 2.15 p.m.