In Pictures, Solar Eclipse In Asia

Thousands gather to watch the spectacle in Taregna, village 300 miles north-west of Calcutta. Nasa declared the village the best place to view the phenomena

South Korean children stare up in wonder at the eclipse from the Seoul National Science Museum. The moon began to cover the sun from around 9:34am in the capital, blocking nearly 80per cent of the sun by 10.50am

Dazzling: The moon moves across the sun above a mosque in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

A combination picture shows the sequence of a total solar eclipse as observed in Central China. The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century began its flight on Wednesday across a narrow path of Asia

Sadhus, or Hindu holy men, watch the solar eclipse through specially-designed vie: http:wing glasses in Allahabad, India

A girl is half-buried at the bank of river Indus. Her doctor advised her to stay in sand during the eclipse in the belief that its rays heal the victims

A woman observes the solar eclipse with her poodle in Hangzhou, which is close to Shanghai, in China. The dog appears confused as to which direction to look

Once in a lifetime: Children watch the eclipse at the astrological museum in Taipei, Taiwan

Lights of the buildings in Shanghai are switched on during the eclipse - even though it is mid-morning

Catching some sun: Dr Shahid Qureshi of Karachi University snaps the moment on his camera via a telescope in Karachi, Pakistan

The skies darken, with the sun just visible in the distance, as the eclipse takes hold over Chongqing in Central China

Spectators watch a tidal bore caused by the eclipse at the Qiantang River in Yanguan town, Haining City, China

Quarantined American and British students look up to see the eclipse at a fenced-off courtyard of the Yanxiang Hotel, in Beijing today, where they are staying after classmates were diagnosed with swine flu