By Take not that a eclipse is set to happen Wednesday night in Korea:
The longest solar eclipse this century will result in midday twilight Wednesday as the moon passes between the sun and Earth over Asia.
The eclipse will peak for roughly six minutes at about 11 a.m. in Japan and South Korea as it makes its way across Asia. However, the moon will begin casting its shadow over the sun about an hour before the peak, then start regressing for about an hour afterward.
A point in Tokara Islands between mainland Japan and Okinawa will experience a total eclipse, as will Iwo Jima, the island about 660 miles southeast of Tokyo, according to Yoshinori Suematsu with Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory.
The rest of Japan and South Korea will see a partial eclipse, with the moon obscuring 80 percent of the sun in southern Japan and Okinawa, and 60 percent elsewhere in the country and South Korea. [Stars & Stripes]
3:14 pm on July 21st, 2009 1
It was set to happen Wednesday morning, not night, which means it's already come and gone.
It was cloudy here in Pohang, so I only glimpsed a bit of it at first, and then it became overcast and unusually dark for about an hour.
4:35 pm on July 21st, 2009 2
Fantastic!
Every eclipse I have tried to view has been obscured by clouds…
…I was starting to suspect it was some sort of conspiracy to keep me from finding out that solar eclipses were an urban legend… an astrological snipe hunt, so to speak.
Anyway, despite the clouds, I grabbed a group of Korean scientists and engineers (who had no intention of looking at it until I insisted) and we went to the rooftop at 10:40am.
Suddenly the clouds thinned and there was a perfect sliver of sun… dimmed to viewing intensity by the layer of clouds and radiating a crescent-shaped wave of light through the misty layers.
Beautiful. Everyone oooed and awwwed.
It came and went over the next 20 minutes… and everybody was amazed at the sight… including me.
I gave a quick English lesson.
"What is it called when the moon goes in front of the sun?"
"Solar eclipse," they chimed in unison. Pretty clever.
"And when the sun goes in front of the moon?"
"Lunar eclipse!"
Dumbasses.
After some time, I walked over to a place with a good view of an empty part of the sky which was obscured by a large dish where we were standing. I pointed up and made a happy face.
"Whoa! The moon looks amazing, too!"
They all came running with their camera phones.
Painful.
Later, there was a 50-50 split on my question of daytime or nighttime solar eclipses being more impressive.
I was reminded that the Korean education system is lacking something.
1:17 am on July 22nd, 2009 3
Stars & Stripes writer: "Sir, we have a huge story this morning, the longest solar eclipse of the century happening in southern Japan."
Editor: "Ho hum, make sure that story doesn't mention the Sea of Japan or anything that might uspset the neigh-burs."
Stars & Stripes writer: "But, Sir, it happens over an island that is Japanese territory, Sir."
Editor: "Hrmmfff. All right, lad, just make sure to mention 'Japan and South Korea' at all times, understood? Fair and square, both sides of the story, remember?"
Stars & Stripes writer: "Sir, yes sir, very well sir. Oh, just one more thing Sir. May I mention Tokara Island Sir?"
Editor (Angry): "As long as it is not Dokdo or Liancourt or whatsitcalled anywhere else."
Stars & Stripes writer (Sighs): "Very good Sir. And tomorrow, with your permission, I'd like to write about lotus farming, if I may, Sir."