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The longest solar eclipse of the century is less than 24 hours away! According to experts, the total solar eclipse taking place Wednesday, July 22, 2009, will last over 6 1/2 minutes. Total contact time will be almost 3 hours, from approximately 0h30minutes to 3h00m Universal Time (times are approximate and vary according to expert; some have contact starting as late as 0h55m and ending after 4h00m UT).
The eclipse is part of the Saros cycle, which also includes the record-setting July 1991 solar eclipse, and is the second of three eclipses to occur within a month. The other two eclipses were lunar eclipses, one of which took place on July 7, 2009, and the other of which will occur August 6, 2009.