A natural phenomenon is set to occur on Sunday 26th February, 2017 with many parts of Europe and Africa set to witness the August event.
In Nigeria, the scientific space research body of the Federal government, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) disclosed that Nigeria will be among the African countries to witness the occurrence. NASRDA said on Thursday that there would be a partial Solar eclipse across the country, on Sunday.
The solar eclipse is a natural occurrence whereby the moon blocks sunlight by staying in-between the earth and the sun. Because the sun is larger than the moon, a tiny circular margin would be left as the moon covers the sun, hence the name RING OF FIRE. This means that the sun would be covered by the moon to a great extent and then a shadow would be cast in form of darkness on the earth. The darkness would vary from location to location depending on the relative position of such places with the moon and the sun.
Dr Felix Ale, Head of Media and Corporate Communications at NASRDA made the disclosure in a statement made available, in Abuja.
“A partial solar eclipse will be visible all over the country with different degree of totality to occur on Sunday, Feb. 26,’’ he said.
The agency noted that the different geopolitical zones in the country would witness varying degrees of the eclipse, with southern cities of Port Harcourt, Uyo and Calabar experiencing the highest level of darkness.
The statistics of estimated recordings enlisted by NASRDA are as follows:
Highest level of darkness: 33 per cent in the three cities stated above.
Lowest level of darkness: 9 per cent in the north especially Kebbi state.
23 percent obscurity in South-west at about 5:42 PM and 6:30 PM respectively.
28 - 30 percent obscurity in South-east at between 4:45 PM and 6:33 PM.
20 percent obscurity in the nation's capital, Abuja at between 4:54 PM and 6:30 PM.
The agency also noted that the solar eclipse would be observed across the nation, thereby making each part of the country a great site for viewing the eclipse at different degree of obscurity.
Provided there's no cloud cover or rain, the solar eclipse would be very visible and prominent in the regions stated above.
So if you notice the skies getting dimmer and there's a little bit of darkness, then don't worry yourself, it's not the end of the world. It's just a solar eclipse, one of nature's beauty.
Lastly and very importantly, it is highly advisable not to look up at the sun during the eclipse, rather go local by pouring water into a bowl and watch the eclipse through the reflection on the water. Or better still, watch the live feed online.