Black Out!

Mark your calendars, my friends.

The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century is coming July 22, and the only place to see it is in a narrow corridor in Asia. As you might imagine, travel companies are lining up to offer tours and viewing parties for about six minutes of total black out.

For luxury travelers, there's the Total Solar Eclipse Tour that includes several extra days of travel to places like the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center, the Shu Xiu Fang embroidery workshop and the Sichuan Opera. For the big moment itself, the tour group will ascend the sacred Buddhist mountain of Emei, which arguably offers the best possible view. Cult-chic.

Early that morning, the moon's path starts to cover the sun in India, crosses through Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan before creating a full eclipse over China a little after 9 a.m.

Eclipses come about every 18 months, but July 22 stands out for the length of its "totality," that is, the amount of time the moon completely covers the sun. In some years, totality might only last a matter of seconds, but the July 22 event could last anywhere from five to six-plus minutes depending on your location.

While you can certainly make your own plans to see the eclipse, there are several tour options in addition to the one mentioned above. Other tour agency options include TravelQuest International, Ring of Fire Expeditions and Wilderness Travel, among others. If you can't make it this year, however, next year's prime viewing spot is a beauty: the mysterious Easter Island!

Here's to experiencing the night of day!

Photos courtesy of Flickr; bottom photo by Susanne Buter.