TAREGNA, India — A total solar eclipse has become visible in some parts of India, bringing near darkness soon after dawn.

But other areas of the country remain under thick cloud cover Wednesday to the disappointment of millions who have gathered outside to watch the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century.
Live television pictures showed the sun completely blotted by the moon in Taregna, a village in eastern India, at 6.24 a.m. Scientists say it is the best place to watch the eclipse.
It will move north and east to Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China. The total eclipse will last 6 minutes and 39 seconds at its peak. It was visible only in Asia.
In Hawaii, the moon will start to take a small bite out of the sun at 5:20 p.m. today, according to the Bishop Museum.

By 6:14 p.m., roughly an hour before sunset, the eclipse will be over.

In Hilo, the eclipse will start at 5:24 p.m. and end at 6:15 p.m.; in Lihue, it will start at 5:18 and end by 6:14; in Lahaina, start time is 5:22 and end time 6:14.

The eclipse — visible only in Asia — will reach its peak in India at about 6:20 a.m. local time, and will last 6 minutes and 39 seconds at its maximum point. It is the longest such eclipse since July 11, 1991, when a total eclipse lasting 6 minutes, 53 seconds was visible from Hawaii to South America.