New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) "It was a breathtaking experience," said 70-year-old Deepak Bhimani, one of the 35 passengers onboard the special flight to watch the century's longest total solar eclipse from 41,000 feet above the ground.

"It was very exciting and I really have no words to describe it. It was like the Sun was so near to me and we had a very pristine image. We could even see Mercury and Venus as the sky darkened and the whole phenomenon was breathtaking," Bhimani, who was the oldest passenger on the flight, told IANS.

On earlier occasions, Bhimani has seen the eclipse from the Antarctica and Sahara also.

The special flight was an initiative of travel agency Cox and Kings India, under the guidance of Eclipse Chasers Athenaeum (ECA), a wing of the Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE), an organisation working to make science and astronomy popular among the youth.

It was an opportunity of a lifetime for many. The 35 people onboard the flight left the capital at 4:30 a.m. and between 6:20 a.m. to 6:25 a.m. the aircraft circled for three minutes over Gaya in Bihar nearly 41,000 above the ground. Some had even shelled out as much as Rs.70,000 for a window seat.

Another passenger, Vijat Asar, a businessman, said: "It was excellent and I was able to see the eclipse in various phases and from different heights. It is a memorable experience. It was for the first time that I watched the solar eclipse."

Millions across the country Wednesday watched the longest solar eclipse of the century in India. However, at some places people were left disappointed as clouds blocked the view.

The eclipse was first seen at 5.28 a.m. in Surat, Gujarat, in western India and last at 7.40 a.m. in Dibrugarh, Assam in eastern India. The spectacle, marred by cloud cover in many places, lasted six minutes and 44 seconds. The next time it will take place will be 123 years later in 2132.

The total solar eclipse was visible in places like Surat, Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Patna and Taregna in Bihar, and Guwahati in Assam. The rest of the country experienced a partial eclipse.

The youngest on the flight was 11-year-old Shreya. She said: "It was really good. You are never going to see it again. Just a black spot and it is totally beyond words."

Another eclipse chaser Mahesh said: "If there is rebirth, then I will witness it in my next birth. All those who stayed at home today for whatever reasons, superstition or whatever, I think they have missed out."

According to Ajai Talwar, head of ECA: "It was an awesome experience. The sun right in front of you and moon covering it thus spreading darkness all over the sky and earth. Chances are always better to watch an eclipse above the clouds for the atmosphere is pollution free."

Millions watch eclipsed sun-rise over India

New Delhi/Taregna/Guwhati/Hyderabad, July 22 (IANS) Faith merged seamlessly with the wonders of science as the devout and the curious gathered on rooftops, planetariums, riverbanks and open grounds to watch the longest solar eclipse of the century in India.

The world of pedantic textbooks came to spectacular life Wednesday as the morning sky darkened to night and the sun was reduced to a flaming rim of fire. Millions of Indians across the country watched the celestial play of moon and sun that, much to the disappointment of eclipse watchers, ducked behind clouds in many places.

Cutting a swathe across the expanse of India, the eclipse was first seen at 5.28 a.m in Surat, Gujarat, in the west of India and last at 7.40 a.m. in eastern Dibrugarh, Assam in the east of India.

The spectacle, marred by a cloud cover in many places, lasted six minutes and 44 seconds. The next time it will take place will be 123 years later in 2132.

The total solar eclipse was visible in places like Surat, Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Patna and Taregna in Bihar, and Guwahati in Assam. The rest of the country experienced a partial eclipse.

In a tragic fallout, two people were killed in the Hindu pilgrimage town Varanasi where thousands gathered on the banks of the Ganges to take a holy dip.

"One person drowned and the other got crushed in a stampede," said P.C. Meena, deputy inspector general of police (DIG).

While a dip in the waters of holy rivers is traditionally believed to rid a person of his sins, Hindus believe that a solar eclipse showers rays that make the water even holier.

A sea of humanity also converged in Kurukshetra, the land of the epic Mahabharata in Haryana, where 1.5 million arrived to take a dip in the Brahmsarovar, the lake of Lord Brahma, the Hindu god considered the creator of the universe.

As the faithful congregated, so did the scientists, amateur astronomers, students and tourists at various places. Many in the village of Taregna, about 35 km from the Bihar capital Patna, which was catapulted into the limelight after US space agency NASA declared it the best place to watch eclipse.

Taregna has an ancient connection with astronomy, having been one of the two places used by 6th century Indian astronomer-mathematician Aryabhatta for his celestial studies.

On Wednesday, the overcast skies cast a dampener and the rare celestial event unfolded behind rain clouds. But the clouds did part momentarily, and for some that was enough.

A moved Gaurav Singh said: "It was a memorable moment when I saw the skies dim into night in the early morning and the solar eclipse reached its totality."

A cheer went up as the crowds that had given up on watching anything suddenly saw the eclipsed sun through the clouds.

It was the moment they had almost given up on.

Belgian Mitchell Mark had been chasing the eclipse for 10 years - and missed it again.

"I missed a total eclipse in Europe in 1999 and missed it again this time," said Mark, one amongst a group of Belgian tourists.

Not so for the group of 50 people who chased the eclipse at 41,000 feet above the ground in a chartered flight over Gaya in Bihar.

The most beautiful part of the eclipse was when sun was completely covered by the moon and the corona became visible, forming a faint crown of pearly white light. Corona is the outer atmosphere of the sun, which is visible only during a total solar eclipse.

In Delhi, around 3,000 people came to the Nehru Planetarium and National Science Centre.

"It is completely fascinating and so beautiful to see. I thank god that I am lucky to watch it," said Nikhil Gupta, a Class 10 student.

Added Arunim Das, an amateur astronomer in Guwahati: "It was a momentous event, a strange darkness enveloping the morning as crickets and birds chirped and stars became visible for a fleeting few minutes."

It was the stuff of poetry and also the opportunity for some cold scientific calculations.

The Indian Air Force undertook aerial sorties to help Indian scientists study the phenomenon.

"The mission was a huge success. We got excellent footage of the eclipse," said Dr Vinay B. Kamble, director, Vigyan Prasar.

For researchers at the Van Vihar national park in Madhya Pradesh, it was an opportunity to study animal behaviour.

"Birds especially depend on the sun for orientation and direction and they will be completely disoriented during the brief blackout (of total eclipse)," S.S. Rajput, director of the Van Vihar National Park, told IANS.

Rationalists had their day too, with some of them in Hyderabad, for instance, gathering to tuck into a hearty breakfast to bust the myth that no food should be eaten during the eclipse.

Superstition and science. It was all rolled into one in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Till the next one, in 2132.

Nepal PM breaks eclipse taboo 

Kathmandu, July 22 (IANS) Nepal's new Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Wednesday took the lead in watching the much-acclaimed longest solar eclipse of the century, breaking an old taboo that in the past forbade Nepalis from venturing out during the phenomenon.

The 56-year-old veteran communist leader, who had refused to take oath in the name of god and last week scrapped an old tradition invoking five goddesses while embarking on journeys, reached the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) in Khumaltar at 6.15 a.m. to watch the eclipse that began in India and traversed through Nepal, Bhutan and China.

Nepal was accompanied by his wife Gayatri and press advisor Bishnu Rijal.

"It was a life-time spectacle," the moved prime minister said, according to Rijal.

Despite his hectic schedule, the Nepali prime minister spent an hour at the observatory, where the eclipse started at 5.45 a.m. and continued till 7.47 a.m. local time.

It was an unusual step for a man whose ancestors were Brahmin priests who adhered strongly to religious rituals.

In Nepal, a country that enjoyed the unique distinction of being the only Hindu kingdom in the world till 2006, eclipses are traditionally regarded as bad omens when the demons overpower the gods.

Even today, people do not take food during eclipses while venturing out, relieving oneself or defecating and having sex are taboo.

Bowing partially to public sentiments, the government declared a public holiday Wednesday when even diplomatic missions remained closed.

However, the winds of change were evident as people thronged NAST to peep at the sun through telescopes.

The Kathmandu Mall, one of the biggest shopping arcades in the capital, saw a different early morning crowd with the B.P. Koirala Memorial Planetarium and Observatory pitching its telescopes on the mall roof for public use.

Even a school, Taxila Academy, arranged for telescopes for public viewing of the sight that will recur worldwide only after more than a century.

The last such solar eclipse that could be viewed from Nepal occurred Jan 22, 1898 while the next one would occur May 14, 2124.

A total of 14 districts in Nepal afforded a full view of the eclipse. In Ilam district, western tourists braved a local shutdown to arrive on bicycles to watch the grand spectacle.

When the face of the sun finally began emerging from the moon's shadow, cheering crowds took a dip in rivers and began offering prayers.

Men and women flocked to the hallowed Pashupatinath temple to offer ritualistic worship and give alms to beggars.

However, Nepali scientist and astronomer Uday Raj Khanal struck a note of caution amid the festivities.

"Nepal has just a handful of trained astronomers and very little scientific equipment," Khanal said.

The Himalayan ranges are extremely suitable for setting up an observatory and China has done it.

"However, Nepal lags behind due to lack of funds and commitment by the government."

Watching the solar eclipse through ribs and skulls 

New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) Unable to buy a solar goggle but keen on watching the century's longest solar eclipse, 25-year-old Anurag Gupta caught hold of an old x-ray scan of his chest and went to the Nehru Planetarium to have a glimpse of the celestial spectacle.

Gupta was not the only one armed with an x-ray. Many others people were seen looking at the sun through scans of their legs, head, hands and other body parts.

"I was not able to buy solar goggles so I carried the x-ray film to watch the eclipse. I did not want to miss the event just because I didn't have the glasses. You can see a very clear image of the sun through this sheet," Gupta said proudly.

Seeing Gupta watching the eclipse, many people got thrilled and requested him to lend them the x-ray.

"There are very long queues in front of telescopes, solar image projectors and filter films placed at the planetarium. They said all the solar goggles were sold. I thought that it is better to watch the eclipse through an x-ray sheet than missing it," said Sheetal Goswami, a housewife.

However, volunteers from the Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE), a Delhi-based organisation working to make science and astronomy popular, warned people that it is not safe to watch the eclipse through x-ray sheets.

"Please don't watch the eclipse through the X-ray sheet for it can damage the retina of your eyes," said Kanika, a SPACE volunteer, handing out a few solar goggles.

Solar eclipse bodes ill for India, Nepal, China, says soothsayer 

Kathmandu, July 22 (IANS) One of Nepal's best-known astrologers, a globe-trotter who has attended astrological meets in Britain, Japan, France and Germany, warned that Wednesday's solar eclipse would cause further unrest in India, Nepal and China.

Bhoj Raj Upadhyay, who was asked to comment on the century's longest solar eclipse by Nepal's private television channels, predicted that in India, the eclipse would foment civil and financial crises as well as religious conflict.

"Sagittarius is India's sign," the astrologer said during a three-hour live television programme during the eclipse. During the eclipse, the sun is covered and the harmful influences that were warded off by it become stronger.

"They will increase the turmoil in India."

As the eclipse travelled to China, where the ascendant sign was Pisces or the fish, Upadhyay said there would be greater accidents and financial crisis.

With Nepal -- which falls under the Scorpio sign -- being sandwiched between its two giant neighbours, the crises on both sides were bound to affect the nascent republic as well, the soothsayer said.

As if to give credence to his prophecy, trouble erupted in several districts in Nepal.

The Tamang community has called shutdowns in 10 districts where it has a sizeable population, demanding an autonomous state for themselves.

They clashed with police in Chitwan district in southern Nepal Wednesday as security forces sought to open the obstructed highway, leading to the arrest of 26 protesters.

Kathmandu valley headed for fresh woes with residents of a nearby landfill site, where the valley's garbage is dumped, warning that they would not allow the disposal of garbage since the government had failed to implement welfare measures.

Dolphins surface, rationalists feast during eclipse 

Chennai, July 22 (IANS) Joggers on the Chennai beach were surprised to see dolphins swimming and jumping very near the shore early Wednesday, the day of the century's longest eclipse, even as Dravida Kazhagam cadres ate food in public to debunk superstition linked to the celestial event.

As news about the dolphins being close to shore spread, a large number of people gathered on the beach to enjoy seeing them swim.

The sighting of dolphins is being attributed to the solar eclipse and the resultant changes in the sea.

Meanwhile, to prove the belief that having food during a solar eclipse is not injurious to health as some astrologers say, Dravida Kazhagam cadres dressed in black consumed food.

"There as several false beliefs in the society and one such belief is that it is not good for health to have food during eclipse. Our attempt is to prove such beliefs are false," K. Veeramani, Dravida Kazhagam president, told reporters.

Two air force planes film total solar eclipse 

Agra, July 22 (IANS) An AN-32 transport aircraft and a Mirage-2000 trainer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Wednesday successfully chased the sun's shadow to film the total solar eclipse, the longest one of the 21st century.

Two separate missions from Agra and Gwalior were flown for the experiment, an official said.

The AN-32 aircraft carrying scientific equipment, cameras and scientists took off from Agra and landed back after a three-hour flight, while the Mirage-2000 trainer flew from Gwalior and took images of the celestial spectacle from 42,000 feet.

"The mission was a huge success. We got excellent footage of the eclipse. This was made possible by the perfect planning and execution by the IAF pilots," said Vinay B. Kamble, director at Vigyan Prasar, while addressing media persons at Agra airbase after the flight.

The AN-32 mission was flown at 25,000 feet. The aircraft flew a southwesterly course from abeam Khajuraho, descending and aligning along the central axis of the eclipse.

The Mirage-2000 bisected the central axis in a northsouth direction to film the eclipse.

"Since flying with the ramp open involves depressurisation, inhaling of oxygen separately becomes absolutely necessary at that altitude. We flew a practice mission to train everyone for the sortie," said the captain of the flight, Wing Commander D. Singh.

"Ensuring the sun at six-o-clock position at the correct angle for cameras to be able to catch the phenomenon demanded a high degree of accuracy in flying," he added.

As the eclipse progressed towards the totality phase metamorphosing the morning sky from bright daylight to the twilight zone, the pilots had to switch on rheostats illuminating their instrument panel for a brief phase of night flying before resuming daylight flying after the eclipse.

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IANS