The total solar eclipse of 22nd July 2009 will be the longest eclipse of the 21st Century being 6 minutes 38 seconds at the point of maximum eclipse. According to the report, this coming total solar eclipse will provide the best observation condition. The entire eclipse line will be more than 10,000 km long and about 250 km wide. About 400 million people will be lucky enough to witness this rare astronomy phenomenon. At about 8:00 AM on 22nd July, 2009, the moon will gradually move over the sun; while the most brilliant total solar eclipse will occur at about 9:00 AM and will last for nearly six minutes.

Despite centuries of scientific understanding of astronomy, a solar eclipse remains one of the most profoundly thrilling mysteries of the natural world. According to ancient Chinese lore, a great dragon devours the sun, plunging the world into darkness unless drums are banged and great noise made to frighten the dragon away.

As the moon moves over the sun, as the dragon approaches from the west, the world darkens and cools suddenly, the birds are hushed, the stars glitter in the suddenly unnatural sky until a silver glow reappears as light and life returns to the world. Not only is totality awesome, but just before and after the solar eclipse there are other phenomena to be seen, such as the sun's corona or luminous atmosphere, and sometimes solar flares, as well as "Baily's beads" - spots of light around the edge of the sun caused by mountains on the moon and which lead to the "diamond ring effect" in the instants immediately before and after totality.