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Jul. 21 – The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century is scheduled to happen tomorrow and will be fully visible in certain parts of China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar.
The phenomenon will last for as long as 6 minutes and 39 seconds. The next eclipse of its kind will occur on June 13, 2132.
According to U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the total eclipse of the sun will be seen from within a narrow corridor that traverses half of earth and the path of the moon’s umbral shadow will begin in India then will gradually cross towards China.
There will also be a partial eclipse to be seen in parts of Indonesia, East Asia, and the Pacific Ocean including the Ryukyu Islands, Iwo Jima, Marshall Islands and Kiribati. In Shanghai, China, the moon is expected to block out the sun for 5 minutes beginning 9:39 a.m. local time.
In addition to Shanghai, the total eclipse will also be visible in the Chinese cities of Chengdu, Chongqing, Yichang, Nanchong, Jingzhou, Wuhan, Huanggang, Hefei, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Huzhou, Suzhou, Ningbo and Jiaxing.
Starting around 5:28 a.m., the eclipse will be seen from the west coast of India before it passes over the eastern states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. It can also be seen in the Patna, Surat, Indore, Bhopal and Varanasi.
The event should boost tourism to the cities where the full solar eclipse can be viewed. Travel agencies, hotels and restaurants are offering visitors special tour packages and eclipse brunches to celebrate the event in style.
The JW Marriot hotel in Shanghai has a 360˚ Solar Eclipse Package that includes accommodation and breakfast while Kathleen’s 5 has a black-themed breakfast for RMB128, to name a few. Event company, Eclipse City, has even set-up an observation deck at the Yangshan Island, located about 130 kilometers from downtown Shanghai.
Last July 17, Shanghai Daily reported that China’s Cabinet instructed local government to make preparations for the solar eclipse and ensure that public facilities still run smoothly.
