An annular eclipse that will be visible all over the country with different degrees of totality will occur on Thursday, September 1, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has said.
NASRDA, in a statement yesterday, said the highest degree of obscurity in Nigeria would be in the southern part of the country, particularly in Lagos where it is expected to have 80% obscurity.
In the statement signed by its Head of Media and Corporate Communications Dr Felix Ale, the agency added that the lowest degree of obscurity would be about 45% and this would be observed in the northern part of the country, particularly in Sokoto.
“The annular eclipse will be observed as a partial or near total eclipse across the nation with Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, expected to be about 60%”, the statement said.
The space agency particularly said the annular eclipse is expected to occur between 7:15am and 10:03am with slight variations in actual timing across the country.
In Lagos, the first contact will occur at about 7:15am while the maximum eclipse will occur around 8:30am and will end by 10:03am, according to NASRDA.
“The eclipse is expected to commence in Abuja around 7:17am, with maximum eclipse to be recorded at about 8:32am and the eclipse will end around 10:00am”, the statement added.
It noted that eclipse is not a spiritual issue but a natural occurrence that can be accurately predicted by science. While appealing to the general public not to panic or adduce any mystical interpretations to this event, the agency advised that nobody should observe the eclipse with naked eyes.
Daily Trust
