To see the total eclipse you'll need to be standing in a narrow swathe called The Path of Totality as the moon's shadow sweeps over, obscuring the Sun.

On August 1, 2008, the Path of Totality will sweep across the Earth from remote Nunatak, across Greenland, Siberia, Mongolia, and China. The Path is 10,000 miles long, but only 100 miles wide. Travelling to this thin, unfailingly remote band is a challenge, but not impossible.

Most eclipse seekers are scientists, academics, knowledgeable laypeople, but many are people who merely delight in having arrived successfully at a goofily remote location chiefly for the thrill of having figured out how to catch the bus in Ulaan Bator and feeling their own insignificance as moon and Sun sweep over their heads. People prepare for years to experience, photograph, study, and document this not really so rare event that lasts about two minutes, but the planets are aligning and August looms. Here are three relatively easy-to-get-to Central Asian spots.

How to Go

Pay for the logistics, language, and leg-work by joining a group tour. The Web is filling up with Eclipse Tour sites. One of the best is Eclipse Journeys out of Bonn, Germany. Written by eclipse enthusiast, Frank Espenak, it's full of maps and kind scientific explanations. Group tours often mean interesting travelling companions, and a great deal of knowledge bandied about. They can also mean a much longer trip before and after the event.

Going it Alone

Cheaper than eclipse-viewing by plane, and steadier than by sea (both are available options), these choices are on land and chosen for their adventure-travel charm. Their down-side is you're on your own. See World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control sites for immunization information, and embassies for visa information and costs.

Novosibirsk, Russia

The duration of the eclipse here will be 2 minutes and 20 seconds. The city's easy to reach through well-served Novosibirsk, Tolmachevo Airport (OVB) and lies on the River Ob crossed by the Trans-Siberian Railway. It's a big, sooty Siberian city. Lots of concrete and mail-order brides, but modern-ish hotels, restaurants, and nightlife. Beyond the city is the UN Heritage Site of the Altai Mountains.

Hami, China to Altay, Mongolia

Somewhat challenging, but worth the slog. Hami, an arid Silk Road outpost in the the Gobi, is reknown for its delicious melons. They grow them on wires draped over the streets shading the dusty shops from the incandescent heat and giving everything a cool grotto feel.

Hami is the largest town in the Uygur Autonomous Region of China, as such it has hotels, restaurants, and administrative offices. To get there, fly to Dunhuang take the bus for six hours to Hami. From Hami set off in the morning to reach the centerline viewing site near the town of Yiwu, a 4.5-hour drive past part of the beautiful Ba Li Kun Grassland. The eclipse will occur around 6 pm. Driving, you'd return to Hami by midnight. Tours are going to Yiwu.

Ugli, Mongolia

Significantly more challenging to reach. Maps for this region are nearly impossible to come by. Talk to the embassy, hotel, and tourism offices for advice. But flying into Ulaan Batar not difficult, and travel to the Path might best be accomplished by rented car. Renting a car is pricier through your hotel, but a hotel driver is often bilingual. Bus service is dodgy. If you use the bus option be prepared to sleep out.

Study up: Information Sources

So giddy with excitement is this enthusiastic, helpful scholarly NASA site, you can practically hear the pocket-protectors jingling. Contains a useful map of the Path of Totality.

Mr Eclipse tells you what a Path of Totality is and why. Easy to understand "Solar Eclipse For Beginners" provides solid information patiently delivered, great photos, and more enthusiasm.

Solar Safety

They're not kidding. Looking at even a partitial eclipse without a filter can cause blindness in a fraction of a second. Eclipse chaser, Fred Espenak writes, "Never look into the Sun without suitable eye protection (certified special protective goggles) - serious damage of the eye up to blindness could be the consequence!

Never use eyepiece filter for optical equipment. Only special lens filter for observing the Sun which you get in the specialist shop are safe!"

Remember

This isn't the first Total Solar Eclipse, and it won't be the last. The next is in July of 2009 and will be visible in India, Nepal, China, and the Pacific.