The coming days in India, especially about a month may be occupied by discourses on science and the various aspects of universe. Reason? The whole of India, after the lunar eclipse on July 7, will witness the longest total solar eclipse of this century on July 22 and this has already created a great enthusiasm in the realm of the country.

There is n doubt that this is an opportunity of a lifetime as a full solar eclipse of this duration 6 minutes and 39 seconds (at a point in the Pacific Ocean) will not happen again till June 13, 2132. And it’s also profitable to make people aware of the same and allure them through various programs.

How are the preparations going on then? Take for instance Science Popularization Association of Communicators & Educators (S.P.A.C.E) operating in the sphere of the country. Speaking on this its Assistant Manager Sunita Mukherjee stated, “We have arranged a series of expeditions. An online competition called `Helio-Odyssey’ was held in May and the 10 children who won are being sponsored for an expedition to China (the maximum visibility time in China is 5 minutes and 30 seconds) for the major eclipse.” “The fliers would get an ideal view of the eclipse from the plane at a height of 41,000ft during the three-hour-thirty-minute-long flight. While the cost of a window seat is Rs 81,000, other seats are priced at Rs 29,000. Till now, 21 seats have been taken and we hope to sell many more,” she added.

It has been learnt that 13 Indian states will be able to witness this rare show altogether and the same would continue the longest 3 minutes and 30 seconds in Patna. To make the incident an everlasting success S.P.A.C.E has made colossal arrangements. There will be a chartered passenger plane that will fly from Delhi to Patna via Gaya, for a perfect view of the spectacle.

Another organization to commemorate this celestial event is the Nehru Planetarium and it will be the host for sky-watching early morning with the provision of special sunglasses, telescopes and binoculars. “We are trying to disseminate as much information as possible about the eclipse through the internet and workshops. Eclipsewiki is an online collaboration that informs about its visibility in India,” said Rathnashree, Director, Nehru Planetarium.