Family Life

07.22.09 | Sarah Harnisch

The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century has come and gone.  The eclipse lasted six-minutes, 39-seconds over the Pacific Ocean, a little less along a 155 mile wide corridor through the world's two most populous nations- China and India.

Millions of Asians gazed skyward. China launched fireworks...and Hindus in India took to the water to cleanse their skin. Women even tried to prevent childbirth because they feared it would bring their baby bad luck.

It was a major scientific event.  Researchers were able to get a very rare long look at the sun's three-point-six-million-degree corona, the gases surrounding the orb, as the moon passed between Sun and Earth.

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