ID :
71650
Thu, 07/23/2009 - 09:12
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/71650
The shortlink copeid
S. Koreans wowed by 1st solar eclipse in 61 years
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- Amateur stargazers as well as astronomical experts across South Korea flocked to parks, streets, beaches or rooftops Wednesday to witness the country's first solar eclipse in 61 years.
The phenomenon, which occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth,
began in the city of Seoul at 9:34 a.m., moving south over the central city of
Daejeon and the southern port city of Busan.
The eclipse was the first such in the 21st century that lasted over two hours and
40 minutes.
While a total solar eclipse could be seen in some other Asian countries such as
India, Nepal, Bangladesh, China and Japan, South Korea only witnessed a partial
eclipse.
Skywatchers from the capital Seoul to as far as the country's southernmost resort
of Jeju Island looked upwards for the rare sight, which astronomers do not expect
will reoccur on the Korean Peninsula until between 2035 and 2041. A smaller
partial eclipse is expected in January 2010.
"This is a rare opportunity for South Koreans to watch the solar eclipse as the
2035 total eclipse will be visible only in North Korea," said Lee Dae-seop, a
college student who volunteered with the government-backed Korea Astronomy and
Space Science Institute (KISA), which handed out free solar eclipse goggles on
streets around Seoul.
The last total solar eclipse visible above the peninsula occurred on August 19,
1887, while an annular eclipse took place on May 21, 1948. During an annular
eclipse the sun appears as a very bright ring, or annulus, around the outline of
the moon.
During Wednesday's event, around 80 percent of the sun appeared covered from most
regions in the direct path of the eclipse.
"It looks as if it were a half-moon," said Kim Tae-hyung, 30, who looked up
towards the sky from a street in southern Seoul, which offered the best weather
to watch the eclipse.
Some observers took photographs of the event with digital cameras or mobile
phones, hoping to record the unique moment.
At 10:48 a.m., the eclipse reached its maximum coverage of more than 93 percent
of the sun above Jeju Island, the closest point in the country to Okinawa,
Japan's southernmost prefecture.
School children across South Korea built pinhole cameras or bought solar goggles
to watch the phenomenon.
In the city of Busan, crowds gathered along sandy Haeundae beach to observe the
occasion.
Live video streams of the eclipse from several locations in the country were
broadcast on a number of major portals.
The phenomenon, which occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth,
began in the city of Seoul at 9:34 a.m., moving south over the central city of
Daejeon and the southern port city of Busan.
The eclipse was the first such in the 21st century that lasted over two hours and
40 minutes.
While a total solar eclipse could be seen in some other Asian countries such as
India, Nepal, Bangladesh, China and Japan, South Korea only witnessed a partial
eclipse.
Skywatchers from the capital Seoul to as far as the country's southernmost resort
of Jeju Island looked upwards for the rare sight, which astronomers do not expect
will reoccur on the Korean Peninsula until between 2035 and 2041. A smaller
partial eclipse is expected in January 2010.
"This is a rare opportunity for South Koreans to watch the solar eclipse as the
2035 total eclipse will be visible only in North Korea," said Lee Dae-seop, a
college student who volunteered with the government-backed Korea Astronomy and
Space Science Institute (KISA), which handed out free solar eclipse goggles on
streets around Seoul.
The last total solar eclipse visible above the peninsula occurred on August 19,
1887, while an annular eclipse took place on May 21, 1948. During an annular
eclipse the sun appears as a very bright ring, or annulus, around the outline of
the moon.
During Wednesday's event, around 80 percent of the sun appeared covered from most
regions in the direct path of the eclipse.
"It looks as if it were a half-moon," said Kim Tae-hyung, 30, who looked up
towards the sky from a street in southern Seoul, which offered the best weather
to watch the eclipse.
Some observers took photographs of the event with digital cameras or mobile
phones, hoping to record the unique moment.
At 10:48 a.m., the eclipse reached its maximum coverage of more than 93 percent
of the sun above Jeju Island, the closest point in the country to Okinawa,
Japan's southernmost prefecture.
School children across South Korea built pinhole cameras or bought solar goggles
to watch the phenomenon.
In the city of Busan, crowds gathered along sandy Haeundae beach to observe the
occasion.
Live video streams of the eclipse from several locations in the country were
broadcast on a number of major portals.
