The Longest Solar Eclipse Of The Century Happens 2Day...Barely Visible to The West Coast Of India....

The longest solar eclipse in this century is scheduled to become visible on the west coast of India at dawn on Wednesday (NASA has images and charts showing where the eclipse will be visible and when).The event is drawing scientists and eclipse enthusiasts from around the world, eager for a truly once in a lifetime experience. But for millions of Indians, the rare astronomical event is a source of dread.The pending eclipse has become a stage where fact and myth, modern science and Hindu mythology are competing for public acceptance. Take this the headline in a India Today article: Rationalists out to eclipse astrologers.

For outsiders, the extent to which superstition still figures in personal decisions may be a surprise.For many Indians of all classes, astrology is an active and vital part of everyday life. Couples consult astrologers about auspicious days to marry. The days deemed to be most fortuitous can sometimes seem like citywide holidays, with scores of marriages filling the city with the wail of brass bands and the thump of fireworks – both common features at Indians’ routinely elaborate wedding ceremonies.But astrology also has a darker side.Indian soothsayers have warned that pregnant women should cover the windows and stay indoors on Wednesday, lest the dark forces associated with the eclipse deform their unborn children.Astrologers in India have warned of impending terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and civil wars too.On Wednesday, Hindu temples will be closed, and won’t be open until after they’ve been “cleansed.” The planetariums and observatories will be open.