By Yohan Perera

A partial solar eclipse would be visible in Sri Lanka between 5:33 am and 7:12 am on July 22, the Department of Meteorology said yesterday.

Several websites including that of NASA reported that a total eclipse would be visible in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and China and in the Ryuku Islands in Japan

Reports said six-minute period of visibility of the July 22 solar eclipse would be the longest this century.

The next solar eclipse to be visible in Sri Lanka will be on January 15 next year and is expected to be an annular eclipse where Sri Lanka may experience considerable level of darkness.

In an annular solar eclipse the sun is covered to a very large extent by the moon with only a ring of light remaining.