Frenzy for Solar Eclipse Glasses Takes Over London

Ahead of Wednesday’s rare cosmic event, thousands of people in London are searching for protective eyewear, as prices surge and stocks sell out.

The top 3

  1. Longest Total Solar Eclipse Recorded: The longest total solar eclipse in recorded history occurred on June 15, 743 BC, over the Indian Ocean, lasting 7 minutes and 27.5 seconds; a slightly longer one of 7 minutes and 29 seconds is predicted for July 16, 2186.
  2. Earliest Documented Eclipse Observations: The earliest known solar eclipse observation is likely referenced in Irish petroglyphs from November 30, 3340 BCE, while ancient Chinese records mention an eclipse on October 22, 2134 BCE, and a Babylonian tablet from Ugarit dates to 1223 BCE.
  3. Eclipses That Advanced Scientific Understanding: The 1919 total solar eclipse provided the first experimental proof of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity by observing the bending of starlight around the Sun, fundamentally changing our understanding of gravity and the universe.

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