clipped from www.naturalhistorymag.com

The astronomical event of the summer occurs on July 22: a total eclipse of the Sun. The Moon’s dark umbral shadow will touch down in the Arabian Sea off the west coast of India at 6:23 a.m. local time, then sweep across Asia and over the Pacific Ocean. About 200 miles east-southeast of Iwo Jima, the eclipse hits the “sweet spot,” where viewers stationed at sea should enjoy six minutes and thirty-nine seconds of totality, beginning at 11:32 a.m. local time, when the Sun is almost directly overhead. Thereafter, the umbra will move southeast, finally lifting off a little beyond the international date line. (Ecliptomaniacs east of the line should mark their calendars for July 21!)