Darkness at dawn as solar eclipse envelops cities

Darkness descended soon after dawn across large swathes of land along a narrow path stretching from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh as skywatchers experienced the longest total solar eclipse of the century this morning.

The dark shadow of the moon -- the conical shaped umbra -- made its landfall in Gujarat at 0630 hrs. And raced across the country within a span of a few minutes spreading darkness in the path of totality.

At many places a thick cloud cover dampened the spirits of skywatchers who had gathered to watch the celestial spectacle.

With the sun blanked out for six minutes and 39 seconds, this was the longest total solar eclipse to occur in the 21st century, and will not be surpassed in duration until June 13, 2132.

In Taregna in Bihar, touted as the best place to watch the eclipse, thousands of astro-enthusiasts were disappointed as clouds refused them a glimpse of the completely eclipsed sun.

However, in Taregna, and most parts of northeast where, clouds obscured the view of the sun, skywatchers were able to experience the eclipse as daybreak turned to night for a few minutes.

In Katni in Madhya Pradesh, stargazers enjoyed every moment of the celestial spectacle from atop the Circuit House Hills for a full three minutes from 0622 hrs.