The world may have a new record for the longest-lasting rainbow after two professors saw the phenomenon occur for nearly nine hours in Taiwan.

Chou Kun-hsuan and Lui Ching-huan, professors at the Chinese Culture University in Taipei, documented the rainbow last week.

The professors are in the university’s department of atmospheric sciences and enlisted the help of students and the campus community in their task, the BBC reported.

“It was amazing… it felt like a gift from the sky… it’s so rare!” Professor Chou said.

According to the data gathered by those at the university, the rainbow lasted for eight hours and 58 minutes, from 06:57 am to 15:55pm.

“When we broke the previous record after passing six hours, I was hardly able to stay seated for lunch,” Professor Chou said. “I was so excited.”

The record for the longest-lasting rainbow was set in Yorkshire after the phenomenon appeared for six hours on 14 March 1994.

The rainbow in Taipei occurred due to a combination of factors, including seasonal monsoons that have trapped moist air, which formed clouds, alongside relatively slow winds and lots of sunlight.