| Our eclipse experience
By TOYIN OSAWE and NJOKU ONYEKACHI JET
Tuesday, April
4 ,
2006
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•Halimat
Alebiosu
PHOTO: Sun News Publishing
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The date March 29, 2006 will for a long time to come remain
memorable and remarkable because it was the day Nigeria witnessed
the eclipse of the sun. For many Nigerian kids, it was a breathtaking
moment that they would want to relive, as these youngsters
shared their ‘eclipse experience’ with Daily
Sun.
Halimat Alebiosu, 7
I was in my class when I saw that everywhere was dark. We
were now called into our headmistress’ office. We saw
the sun and the moon together. But I was scared because they
said we should look down. I even thought it was going to rain.
I had not heard of it before but I’m happy I saw it.
Chukwuebuka Charles Nwakuba, 7
I did not know what it was before. In school that day, it
was like rain wanted to fall so our aunty told us that it
was not rain. She said that the moon rotates round the earth
and that it will pass through the sun. And before my daddy
went to work, he told me that something like that would happen,
that I should not be afraid and I was not afraid. Maybe when
I grow up, I will go to the moon to know why it had to pass
through the sun.
Emmanuella Iheagwam, 7
We enjoyed it in our class, we thought it wanted to rain and
everywhere was getting dark but not very dark. I know that
anytime it wanted to rain, the weather usually gets dark,
cold and maybe there will be thunder but that day, it was
not so. When we told our uncle that it wanted to rain, he
said no that the moon and the sun caused it. Maybe when I
grow up, I will see it again and know what the moon and the
sun were doing.
Isabella Olo, 9
I have not heard it before and did not know what it was. Our
teacher was with us in the class when the eclipse started.
She thought it was going to rain so she warned us to remain
in class and not to go outside because it would rain. But
later, she told us what it was but I still did not understand.
But at night when my mummy tuned to NTA News, we saw the darkness
and all the people using glasses and basins of water to watch
it, I liked it. Then she and my aunt explained it to me and
I understood what it was.
Richie Somadina, 10
I heard on the news, the previous night that there was going
to be an eclipse of the sun but I did not understand what
it was like. The next day, we were in school when it began
and most of us were allowed out of the classroom to observe
it with the aid of water in a bowl. It was interesting. A
friend of mine said to me how I wish I had camera phone, I
would have taken shots of the eclipse. After that, the urge
to become a scientist is becoming stronger in me.
Chineneye Amadi, 10
I am ten years old, I am in JSS1. When the eclipse started
that morning, we were allowed out of the classrooms to catch
a glimpse of the movement of the moon across the sun, it was
a wonderful experience and I loved it. It is worths seeing
over and over again.
Toye Adewale, 10
I didn’t fully see it because I was in my class. And
our science teacher told us not to look at it directly. It
was not full in Lagos but was full in Oyo and Sokoto states.
I’m happy I witnessed it because I had wanted to see
it.
Hannah Adewale, 12
"I had heard of it before from people, but I didn’t
bother to find out. On that day, when we were coming from
our practicals, I noticed that the sun was going into the
clouds and the moon was out. When I looked at it, my eyes
started paining me and I thought it was going to rain. So,
we all went into the class and a few minutes later everything
cleared.
I enjoyed seeing it o! I had never seen it before and I looked
forward to it.
Yinka Erinle, 13
We were in the exam hall, so we were not allowed to come and
see it. I was happy anyway that it happened in my lifetime.
Love Idahosa, 15
I was in class when it happened, so I couldn’t see it.
But for me it was a wonderful experience. It proved to me
that God Himself is the best scientist. And I’m impressed
that the scientists were able to predict accurately the day
and places it would occur.
But I was a bit upset that I couldn’t really witness
it. I had to make do with what my mother told me because she
witnessed it. I heard it’s going to happen next in year
2020 or so and I look forward to that time. I’m going
to go out with my kids to see it and also tell them my previous
experience.
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