HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE FLOCKED OUTDOORS ON JULY 22 TO WATCH THE LONGEST TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF THE 21ST CENTURY, A 6-MIN. SPECTACLE THAT WAS VISIBLE ACROSS WIDE SWATHS OF INDIA, NEPAL, BANGLADESH, BHUTAN, BURMA, JAPAN AND CHINA.

CROWDS IN CHINA'S HUBEI PROVINCE DONNED SPECIAL EYEWEAR TO AVOID RETINAL DAMAGE WHILE STARING AT THE SUN.

WELDING MASKS WERE BRIEFLY FASHIONABLE AS HEADGEAR IN CHINA'S SHANXI PROVINCE.

AT THE OBSERVATORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES IN MANILA, WITNESSES CAUGHT THIS VIEW OF THE PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE.

ECLIPSE WATCHERS OUTSIDE BEIJING'S PLANETARIUM WERE PLUNGED INTO SHADOW.

ALTHOUGH IT WAS MORNING, LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON AS THE LUNAR UMBRA PASSED OVER THE CITY OF CHONGQINQ, CHINA.

MANY PUBLIC EVENTS WERE ORGANIZED FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THE ECLIPSE. IN CHENGDU, IN CHINA'S SICHUAN PROVINCE, TIANFU SQUARE WAS A POPULAR GATHERING PLACE.

CHILDREN AT A LOCAL SCHOOL IN HONG KONG WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL THEIR GRANDCHILDREN.

PEOPLE CROWD BENEATH A VIEWING PANEL TO CATCH A GLIMPSE.

SPACE ENTHUSIASTS, RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS ON AMAMI OSHIMA ISLAND IN SOUTHERN JAPAN ENJOY THE SHOW.

HINDU DEVOTEES TAKE HOLY DIPS IN THE SANGAM, BASKING IN THE PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE IN ALLAHABAD, INDIA.

A PARTIAL ECLIPSE IS VISIBLE OVER ONE OF THE DOMES OF THE GOLDEN TEMPLE IN AMRITSAR, INDIA.

A TOURIST GETS A GLIMPSE AMONG THE CROWDS THAT GATHERED NEAR THE SHORE IN THE NORTH INDIAN CITY OF VARANASI.

THE TOTAL ECLIPSE AT THE MOMENT THE MOON BEGAN TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE SUN, SEEN FROM A CITY IN NORTHEASTERN INDIA.