Total solar eclipse viewed in Bangladesh

Dhaka, July 22

The long-awaited total solar eclipse was observed Wednesday morning in northwestern Bangladesh that lasted for little more than three minutes.

Despite the cloudy weather, tens of thousands of astronomy enthusiasts gathered in the South Asian country's northwestern Panchagarh district, about 440 km from here, observed the greatest celestial spectacle of the century.

Panchagarh district, the nearest town to the central line of the Umbra was earlier declared as the Capital of the Total Solar Eclipse 2009 in Bangladesh.

The total solar eclipse started there at about 07:56 a.m. (0056 GMT) and lasted about three to four minutes, creating a night-like situation in the town.

The crowed celebrated this rare moment with clapping and bursting out in joy, which were broadcast live on DIGANTA TV Channel.

President of the Total Solar Eclipse Observation Committee in Bangladesh, A.R. Khan, told Xinhua Tuesday that Wednesday's total solar eclipse would be a historic event in Bangladesh as there would be no such event in the coutry until Aug 14, 2114.

It is also the "longest duration" eclipse in the country's history, said Khan who is also president of the Bangladesh Astronomical Society (BAS), an organisation of astronomy enthusiasts established in 1984.

Last updated on Jul 22^nd, 2009 at 08:43 am IST--Xinhua

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