Odd News

Eyes to the sky as solar eclipse comes

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-03-29 19:22

CAPE COAST, Ghana, March 29 - Shouting, clapping or praising God, awestruck locals and tourists gazed skywards on Ghana's coastline on Wednesday as a total solar eclipse cast a shadow across Africa and tracked on to the Middle East.

"God is great, this shows the greatness of God. This shows the greatness of Nature. It is very, very beautiful, I've never experienced anything like this before," said Ghanaian Nana Appah, joining crowds at Cape Coast beach, the first spot where the event was easily visible.

The track of the eclipse stretches from eastern Brazil, across the Atlantic to north Africa, then on to the Middle East, Central Asia, west China and Mongolia.

The longest view -- four minutes and seven seconds -- was at Libya's Wao Namus settlement near the Chadian border 2,000 km (1,250 miles) south of Tripoli.

The air cooled and an eerie half-light descended over the ancient slave fort at Cape Coast, west of Ghana's capital Accra, as the moon obscured the sun for approximately three minutes.

Cries of "Hallelujah" and "Praise the Lord" rang out as watchers shouted and clapped in excitement, sharing protective glasses. Drivers hooted their horns.

The shadow of the eclipse, which occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun, made landfall on Ghana's coastline at 0908 GMT and moved swiftly inland.

"It is amazing, the best experience of my life. I never imagined I would see this, it is a wonderful experience," said Jan Jalving, a Dutch visitor to Cape Coast.

As soon as the outline of the moon began to creep across the face of the sun, crowds turned out on the beaches and streets, on balconies and rooftops at Cape Coast.

"ASTRO-TOURISTS"

Foreign tourists travelled to Ghana especially to see the eclipse.

For 51-year-old amateur astronomer Lou Petterchak, from Denver, Colorado, it was the fifth he had witnessed.