Solar eclipse in Ghana: And it happened
poem
it was a wednesday
March 29, 2006.
it was a wonderful day
in the true sense of the word
And it happened!
solar eclipse 2006
And it happened!
Scientists predicted it
And it happened!
Philosophers foresaw
And it happened!
The mystics knew in advance
And it happened!
O Divine Intelligence!
The universal mind!
How Omnipotent are You!
How Omniscient are You!
And how mysterious are your ways!
you are supreme
Glory to Your Name
Now and always!
by Mawutodzi Kodzo Abissath
March 29, 2006, Accra
When was the total solar eclipse experienced in Ghana?
(Feature)
The solar eclipse in Ghana was truly spectacular! The tropical sun was dominating when the invading moon came to block its surface without hesitation.
It happened as scientists predicted. She was almost close to perfection. Scientists indicated that it would occur between 0830 and 093 UT.
However, by 0730 GMT in some parts of the country, especially in the western region, about 400 km west of the capital Accra, the lunar journey through the solar lane had started in Ghana.
In the Ghanaian capital itself, the magical movement was detected around 7.45 am That was the precise moment when this writer first noticed the event with the solar eclipse glasses, purchased for the purpose.
The long-awaited eclipse of the sun and the resulting anxiety and excitement were no longer speculation. It happened on 03/29/06 in Ghana from where he departed as his gateway to Africa.
Dozens of excited, enthusiastic and overjoyed citizens watched the phenomenon across the country.
At the time when Ghanaians were enjoying the sight of the celestial romance between the sun and the moon with the planet earth acting as an eyewitness, a few other selected African countries were also experiencing the memorable event.
Those other nations included Benin, Nigeria, Niger and Togo, all in West Africa; Egypt and Libya in North Africa and Chad in Central Africa.
The event attracted scientists and tourists from all over the world who flocked to Ghana to witness a once-in-a-century event. It was broadcast live on National Television for the world to see.
Records show that the last time a total solar eclipse occurred in Ghana was in 1947. There was no television at that time in the country. Therefore, in the next 50 years or so, when the miracle is expected to happen again, our children’s children will have the privilege of seeing what we saw today thanks to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) .
Curiously, practically all the hotels in six of the ten Regions of the country where the total eclipse took place were booked in advance. The regions included the Greater Accra, Eastern, Central, Volta and Western Regions. The rest of the Regions experienced what was characterized as a ‘partial eclipse’.
Along the coast of the country, some high ground offered unique locations, such as hill tops or mountains, in cities such as Anomabo in the Central Region, McCarthy Hill in Greater Accra, Shai Hills and Aburi Hills in the Eastern Region of the country. .
Tourists who came to Ghana had fun up to the blue sky. They experienced the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality that would be etched in their memory forever and ever! (Can someone say Amen?)
In some hotels, for example, special programs of traditional dance and drumming were organized to entertain tourists while they observed and took pictures of the natural phenomenon.
“Oh Africa is full of natural beauty of beauties”, exclaimed some. In fact, some first-time visitors to Africa never dreamed that aside from the usual wars and famine scenes foreign media have always associated with the continent, there could be such magnificent natural wonders to behold in Africa.
In Accra, the usual traffic-clogged streets were deserted. Workers left their desks for once and rushed out of their offices to experience the romantic relationship of the two celestial bodies.
And at exactly 9:10 am, when the moon succeeded in blocking the view of its higher astral sister, the sun, a siren sounded in Accra to alert the public that some miracle was about to happen and was actually happening. There were some fanatical religious elements in the country who called themselves “prophets”, they had the audacity to challenge the scientists that the solar eclipse would occur only on their corpses. But it happened!
The multicolored flames of the fireworks decorated the skies of the city. There was an extraordinarily blissful breeze from the Atlantic Ocean that has been bombarding the shores of Ghana ever since creation manifested.
The atmosphere instantly changed to that of the autumn season in Europe. It was fantastic and sublime. The mix of day and night together. It was indicative of the work of some Divine engineering.
Then a mini-night fell during the day! While the human beings enjoyed the scene and applauded in admiration at the mysterious nature of the Supreme Being, some poor birds and other creatures of the animal kingdom were left in a sort of semi-confusion.
I saw a lone vulture on top of a nearby building that had no choice but to go to bed prematurely. Oh Nature, how wonderful you are, how magnificent you are and how beautiful your creation is!
This is how the total solar eclipse of March 29, 2006 in Ghana occurred. And it happened.
Mawutodzi Kodzo Abissath
Ghanaian journalist and poet
Accra, Ghana.
(Eyewitness account of the memorable event. It is predicted to happen again in Ghana in 37 years. Where will I be then?)
blog: http://www.nyansah.blogspot.com