Some of the prettiest photos of the longest solar eclipse of the century that cast a wide shadow for several minutes over Asia and the Pacific Ocean Wednesday, luring throngs of people outside to watch the spectacle.
In India, where an eclipse pits science against superstition, thousands took a dip in the Ganges River in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi to cleanse their souls.
In Chinese tradition, there is a story about a heavenly dog eating the sun. As the story goes, people would make noise to scare off the dog and rescue the sun. Source and photos.
As for the Lao and Thai, there is a folklore of the Luna Eclipse, I’m not sure if it also applied to the solar eclipse as well. This picture was taken at the Buddha Park the Spirit City in Laos, it’s believed that during the Luna Eclipse, the moon is being swallowed by the frog as we called it Kop Kin Deuane, loosely translated as frog eats moon, therefore when we were kid, we had to bang our pots and pans to chase the frog away. I think we would have done the same thing with the solar eclipse.
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July 22, 2009 at 5:59 pm
PaNoy
I remembered one of this ‘Kop Kin Deuane’ happened when I was a child in Laos. We all stood outside watching it in amazement. It seems the entire neighborhood was out there, breathing in the wonders of it all, and people chattering away, recalling the last time they had seen one…just like me reliving that same moment in my mind:))
July 22, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Nye
PaNoy, as I recalled, it’s not a very good sign or thing in the Asian culture and that’s why they try to chase the ‘dog’ or ‘frog’ by making noises to release the sun or moon, or even bath to wash and cleanse their souls. But I think it’s being viewed different in the Western culture, it’s a mere science and nothing more, unless if there is some sort of superstitious that I’m not aware about.
July 23, 2009 at 1:12 am
giiid
Thank you Nye, that was very interesting to learn about the frog eating the sun, and how noise could avoid that. I think you are quite right about the western cultures view at this. I have looked at Google, and all I can find is about how people from the middelage and before that, used the solar eclipse as a sign of what would happen in the future.
Talking about the sun, we are having a very old figure from 18th to the 16th century BC, showing how the sun was transported by horse. This highly valued found is called “The sun wagon”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trundholm_sun_chariot
July 23, 2009 at 6:51 am
Nye
giiid, normally the eclipse only last for a short while and I don’t think banging pots and pans helps but it might ease the worries for the adult, and it was a lot of fun when I was a kid. I don’t think the younger generation view it the same way, this made me feel real old knowing this, because I watched the video in Asia posted by lady0fdarkness at her blog, and it appears that some were watching it with an Ouuu and Awwww.
July 24, 2009 at 6:29 am
K.noizki
There were people driven by this belief that an eclipse will cause a disaster such as flood, tsunamis or an earthquake.
In HK, people were excited – it’s the most watched event tho it wasn’t really a full eclipse compared in India but I stayed home, I gave a minute of prayer to avoid the ill effect to all of us.
July 24, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Nye
K, so the old belief still roamed the air. The third picture is from HK btw.
July 25, 2009 at 5:50 pm
shadow
I saw it once in Laos when I was like 5. I still remember it because it was during the day and we were still in school. Suddenly everyone ran outside and next thing we were all outside. Omg, me and my little cousin were just talking about this. I told he that I would like to see one before I die
Well, looks like I just miss it 
July 26, 2009 at 5:51 am
Nye
shadow, you are still young and there are plenty more.
I’ve seen both the solar eclipse and the lunar eclipse and I do have to say that I like the lunar eclipse best. It happens on a Full Moon where the sky is luminated by the Moon light, and all of a sudden the moon passes through a part of Earth’s shadow and the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from the Moon causing a total lunar eclipse, it’s truly a beautiful sight, I will definitely pay more attention the next time I see it again.
July 26, 2009 at 7:58 pm
shadow
I guess and I hope I get to see more and enjoying my seeing. I would love to see both of them
July 28, 2009 at 12:24 am
Nye
shadow, I hope you will, but to see it from Asia, you’d have to travel there. Some people traveled there just to see this one.
July 30, 2009 at 11:28 pm
shadow
Lol, that is what I was thinking
I think I have to save the date so I will make it there on the right time
July 31, 2009 at 1:34 am
Nye
shadow, sounds like fun.
August 1, 2009 at 12:13 pm
mozemoua
wow..I really like the first 2 photos!! I had always wanted to experience a solar eclipse, lets hope I’ll be able to one of these days.
August 2, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Nye
mozemoua, I don’t know if our camera would capture images like these two but it would be fun to watch it again.