JAPAN

This eclipse was the longest of the 21st century. After touring in China for TSE2008, it became quite obvious that in the large cities, pollution was a big deal. There were times I was able to look directly at the mid-day Sun directly through the thick haze. This did not bode well for viewing the eclipse from China. I signed up for a cruise aboard the Costa Classica for a cruise to Japan and to view TSE2009 near Iwo Jima. The skies were completely clear the entire time.