If you want to witness the awe inspiring sight of a total solar eclipse then it's time to book your trip to Africa now since tours are selling out quickly. A total solar eclipse will be crossing the African continent on March 29 (2006) and you can see it in Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Libya and Egypt. The maximum eclipse will be in Libya; folks there will be able to see it for a full 4 minutes and 7 seconds. Libya also seems to have the best conditions for eclipse viewing in March, clear and sunny with little pollution in the air. Since independent travel to Libya isn't a piece of cake, there are several excellent tour options you can take with professional astronomers as guides.

I've written a guide to the total solar eclipse in Africa which includes tips on how to watch the event safely, the best places to view it from and the best solar eclipse tours available including cruises, desert adventures and more. Since those of you living in the US won't witness a total solar eclipse until 2017, traveling to see one is really your best option.