The best places in China to see tomorrow's total solar eclipse are Hami in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Jiuquan in Gansu Province, Chinese scientists said on Wednesday.

Favorable weather in the two regions allows a good view of the eclipse, according to scientists with China's National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Surrounding mountains mean the two regions will be less affected by monsoon weather and it is unlikely that there would be sandstorms as the maximum wind speed is estimated at 25 kilometers per hour, they said.

The eclipse on Friday, the first solar eclipse in China in the new century, will be visible in Chinese territory at 6:59pm. Besides Xinjiang and Gansu, people in other regions such as Shaanxi and Hong Kong, can also see a total or partial eclipse.

More than 2,000 people have gathered in Yiwu County of Hami City, 500 kilometers east of Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang.

It is recommended not to look directly at the sun with the naked eye or through a telescope. Astronomers say it's safe to project the sun's image through a pinhole or a telescope onto a piece of white paper or cardboard.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and Sun, totally or partially blocking the Earth's view of the Sun. The next total solar eclipse will occur in China in January.

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2008)