People in parts of India, China, and Japan enjoyed the longest total solar eclipse of this century earlier today. Maximum totality duration was six minute and 39 seconds. Folks in parts of India got to see a totality sunrise, with the sun appearing as a black hole.

Seconds before the Sun was fully blocked by the lunar disc, a brilliant ‘diamond ring’ formed in the sky. Moments later, brightness dropped dramatically as totality began, a phase technically called second contact that began at 10 seconds past 6.24am . A roar went up at the ghats as people gasped and screamed in awe. Some stared in stunned silence while others shook hands with total strangers in fits of joy. The city was suddenly clothed in a surreal glow of faint light that was eerie, exhilarating and nothing like most had ever seen before.

NASA has photos and statistics of the event. Xinhua has pictures of the eclipse taken in India and China.