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The moon is blocking out the sun during the total solar eclipse at the ancient Roman temple of Apollon ruins on the coast of Side in Turkey's Mediterranean coasts, March 29, 2006. (Fatih Saribas/Reuters)

World Treated to Rare Total Eclipse of Sun
Schoolchildren cheered as the first total eclipse in years plunged Ghana into daytime darkness Wednesday, a solar show sweeping northeast from Brazil to Mongolia.

Sun and Moon Ready for Three-Hour Celestial Ballet
The Sun was to be briefly blotted out near here on Wednesday at the start of a total eclipse due to race from tropical northeastern Brazil to the grasslands of Mongolia.

West China to See Partial Solar Eclipse
A partial solar eclipse can be viewed in the Xinjiang Uygur, Tibet and Ningxia Hui autonomous regions, as well as in Qinghai, Gansu, and Sichuan provinces, experts with the society said.

Tips on Observing

Observing a Solar Eclipse
Contrary to popular belief, it is safe to observe the total phase of a total solar eclipse directly with the unaided eye, binoculars or a telescope.

Eye Safety During Solar Eclipses
The Sun can be viewed safely with the naked eye only during the few brief seconds or minutes of a total solar eclipse.

What's Solar Eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun and obscures it totally or partially. It can only occur when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction.

Historical Solar Eclipses
A solar eclipse of 15 June, 763 BC mentioned in an Assyrian text is important for the Chronology of the Ancient Orient.

Types of Solar Eclipses
There are 4 types of solar eclipses: total eclipse, annular eclipse, hybrid eclipse, and partial eclipse.

Solar Eclipses in the Past

Total Solar Eclipse of November 23, 2003
The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins at 22:19 UT in the southern Indian Ocean about 1100 kilometres southeast of Kerguelen Island. Curving south, the 500 kilometre wide umbral path reaches the coast of Antarctica at 22:35 UT.

2002 Dec 04: Total Solar Eclipse
The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in the South Atlantic, crosses southern Africa and the Indian Ocean and ends at sunset in southern Australia.

2001 Jun 21: Total Solar Eclipse
The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in the South Atlantic, crosses southern Africa and Madagascar, and ends at sunset in the Indian Ocean.