Darkness falls in Asia during total eclipse, luring masses

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The longest solar eclipse of the century cast a wide shadow for several minutes over Asia and the Pacific Ocean Wednesday, luring throngs of people outside to watch the celestial spectacle.

Day turned into night. Temperatures turned cooler in cities and villages teeming with amateur stargazers.

The total eclipse could be seen starting in India on Wednesday morning and moving eastward across Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, China and parts of the Pacific. Millions cast their eyes towards the heavens to catch a rare view of the sun's corona.

Cloud cover in some areas prevented people from fully savoring the phenomenon. Still, many were awed.

Tim O'Rourke, a 45-year-old freelance photographer from Detroit, Michigan, lives in Hong Kong but traveled up to Shanghai -- touted as one of the best spots to watch the eclipse. See China's experience in the dark »

"It was pitch black like midnight," said O'Rourke, standing in People's Square with what appeared to be a crowd of thousands.

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