In Lucknow, the solar eclipse begins early Wednesday at 5.31 a.m. and ends at 7.26 a.m.

The Indira Gandhi Planetarium and the Regional Science City in Lucknow have made special arrangements for viewing this century's longest solar eclipse.

The Regional Science City will open at 5 a.m. Wednesday for visitors and promise to show the celestial action live from 5.31 a.m. on a large LCD screen.

People in several cities of Madhya Pradesh were also hoping for a clear sky Wednesday, but weather officials in Bhopal have also predicted a cloudy morning.

'There is a strong possibility of cloud cover around the time of eclipse that would last six minutes and 44 seconds,' said D.P. Dubey, director of the Regional (Madhya Pradesh) Meteorological Centre.

According to Dubey, a low-pressure area is building up over the Bay of Bengal and would get activated around Tuesday and Wednesday.

'The impact of this system would be felt in Madhya Pradesh in the form of cloud cover and rains,' he said.

The total solar eclipse will be visible in several places in the state including Bhopal. But if the sky remains clear, it can also be viewed in Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Panchmarhi, Sagar and Vidisha districts, among others.