Mar 9 1997
From The Space Library
Professional and amateur astronomers in northern China and in the eastern reaches of Russia witnessed the near-simultaneous occurrence of a total solar eclipse and an unimpeded view of Comet Hale-Bopp. According to news reports, tens of thousands of people crowded city streets and braved freezing temperatures to observe the spectacle, many using pieces of smoked glass to protect their eyes. Mohe County in China's northern tip had banned the use of smoke-producing stoves and other heating devices, to keep the air as clear as possible for the view. Chinese television stations broadcast the event, only the third time in recorded history when a full eclipse and the passing of a nearby comet had occurred simultaneously.
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