East Asia

Total eclipse

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We’re chasing the sun this time: on Wednesday, millions of people across Asia will witness the longest total solar eclipse that will happen this century.

If the clouds hold back, it could be the most-watched eclipse in history, too. That’s in part because the total eclipse path will traverse the two most populous countries on Earth.

Solar eclipse in 1998 (Associated Press)

That’s a bit of a clue for today’s quiz. We want you to name two places. One is the country that will be the first to see the full eclipse. And the other will be the last place where the full eclipse will be visible from land. You have just enough time to don your protective goggles…

Answer: The full solar eclipse will first be visible at dawn on Wednesday near Mumbai in India.

By the way, a travel agency in India is organizing a charter flight on the day of the eclipse.

The agency is charging around $ 1,600 per person.

CEO Amit Verma explains why people should pay that much to watch the eclipse from 41,000 feet.

“In India, it is monsoon season, so the best place to view a solar eclipse is above the clouds where you are not worried about any rain. So that was the whole idea, so that we could be above the clouds and then watch an eclipse.”

Verma says passengers on the flight will be able to follow the eclipse’s path for around three hours.

So the first place the full eclipse will be visible from is India. We also asked you to name the last place where the full eclipse will be visible from land.

Well, after India, the eclipse will cross parts of Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China before hitting the Pacific. Then it will cross some Japanese islands. But the last place where people will be able to see the full solar eclipse from land is Nikumaroro Island in the South Pacific nation of Kiribati.