By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
The longest solar eclipse of the century took place Wednesday across the Korean peninsula, leaving tens of thousands of people in awe of the spectacular solar sight.
In Seoul, the moon began to take a bite out of the sun from the right upper side at 9:34 a.m. The eclipse reached its maximum at 10:48 a.m. when 78.5 percent of the sun was covered.
Southern parts of the country saw a larger part of the sun hidden ― in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, 93.1 percent of the sun was behind the moon at 10:48 a.m.
The show lasted for about two hours and 40 minutes. It was the first eclipse in 61 years in Korea where such a large part of the sun was covered, following an annular eclipse on May 21 in 1948, according to the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASSI). The last total eclipse Korea saw was on Aug. 19 in 1887.
Some Asian nations such as China, Japan, India and Nepal saw a total eclipse. The six-minute eclipse will be the longest in the 21st century, the institute said.
Workers came out of offices not to miss the show. "It is the first time in my life I've seen a solar eclipse, and I guess it may be the last. It was wonderful to see a phenomenon, which I learned about in school, actually happen," Lee Hye-young, a worker at Gwacheon Government Complex in Gyeonggi Province, said.
The eclipse was broadcast live by the institute through major Internet portal sites.
"In Korea, a total eclipse will be seen on Sept. 2 in 2035 around Pyongyang, and an annular eclipse, on Oct. 25 in 2041," an official of the institute said.
KASSI held observation events at 36 locations across the nation along with science institutes, universities and other astronomical organizations.