ISTANBUL, March 23: Tens of thousands of scientists and astronomy fans are expected in Turkey on March 29 to see the total solar eclipse, Turkish astronomers and hoteliers said on Thursday. “In (the southern town of) Antalya alone we are expecting tens of thousands of amateur and professional astronomers from around the world,” Attila Ozguc, the head of the astronomy department at the Kandilli research centre in Istanbul said.

According to NASA, the total eclipse will be visible as it crosses half the Earth, travelling from Brazil through northern Africa and ending up in Mongolia.

A partial eclipse will be visible along a much broader path taking in much of Europe, Africa and central Asia. The US space agency has said the Libyan desert has ‘the greatest eclipse’.

Mr Ozguc said, however, many astronomers had chosen to converge on Turkey, where the eclipse will be seen around 1200 GMT as it passes through Anatolia northwards, passing through tourist hotspots such as the Mediterranean coast and Cappadocia.

“In Turkey we are expecting good weather, and there is no risk of sandstorms, as there is in Libya, which can impede vision,” he said, saying easy access and a good hotel network were also in Turkey’s favour. The director of Turkey’s national observatory said he was expecting ‘almost a thousand researchers’, who would be able to attend two conferences staged at the time of the eclipse—AFP