Photo Gallery Eclipse Across Asia
Black-out: The solar eclipse on July 22 was visible from a narrow corridor that spanned across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Burma, China and the southern Japanese islands. Astronomers estimate that the corridor stretched across 15,000 kilometers.
Crowds gather in Varanasi, India. Hundreds of thousands of devoted Hindus gathered in the holy city to cleanse themselves in the River Ganges immediately after the eclipse.
A Hindu practitioner by the River Ganges: Many in India fear that the eclipse may have negative consequences for the world.
Sneak peek: A security guard in Shanghai, China, tries to catch a glimpse of the eclipse.
Plunged into darkness: With a duration of over six minutes, the solar eclipse on the Japanese island of Akuseki was the longest of all inhabited areas on Earth. Normally the island is only home to 68 people, but hundreds more arrived to witness the event. This photo was taken from the Japansese island of Iwo Jima.
The eclipse reaches Thailand: Even Buddhist monks, such as those pictured here, couldn't seem to tear themselves away from the spectacle.
Bharat Aryal, a school principal in Kathmandu, Nepal, tries out special protective glasses during preparations for the eclipse.
Looking up at the sun: Indian students in Patna, the state capital of Bihar, prepare for the eclipse.
Cover of darkness: The solar eclipse covered some of the most densely-populated areas on Earth, giving it one of the biggest audiences in human history. Astronomers predict that the next blackout on a similar scale will be in 2132.
A Hindu holy man by the River Ganges: July 22 is a "very dangerous moment in the universe," warned Indian astrologer Raj Kumar Sharma in remarks to the news agency AFP. If the sun, the leader of the stars, is sick, then definitely theres going to be some bigger problems happening in the world.
Partial darkness: The eclipse is seen in the northern Indian city of Amritsar.
