Thursday, March 30, 2006
TOTAL ECLIPSE - MARCH 29/06 - 9:05 am GHANA TIME
From the darkest realms of the dark continent, the sun suddenly disappeared and at 9:05 in the morning it became just like midnight - the sun was gone and only the outer edges of it could be seem as the moon provided a 100% - total eclipse for our viewing pleasure. Interesting how many superstitutions are involved with an eclipse - Initially some of the Bible and Book of Mormon references to Christ's death and Christ's appearnce - combined with some of the tribal traditions about eclipses and the disappearing of the sun - we had one staff member would now allow her children to go to school on the day of the eclipse for fear something was going to happen - she wanted them right in the house. The other staff member phoned as things got darker to be sure his children also were home and okay. One of the Sisters wasn't sure that the glasses that were being sold for viewing the eclipse were safe..so she put a pan of water out in the yard and allowed her children to watch the reflection in the water. About the worse thing that happened however was the activity of 13 missionaries waiting for their transportation to the airport and the 5 teacher and 5 staff members combined with Sister Nielson (somewhere in the picture) reacting to the camera posed to take a picture - this picture was shot at 9:05 in the morning at the height of the eclipse - you can see how dark it did get because it required the flash to get any kind of picture. It was pretty fun because there was a real celebration going on,,we felt a little like we were in Time Square on New Years Eve. This I believe is the first total eclipse of the sun I have experienced - have seen a few partial and a few of the moon, but this is kind of an eerie feeling and experience. Teachers said there would be another one in 20 years (I don't know where they got that information) and claimed they'd be around for it - then questioned whether Sister Nielson thought she would be.......
# posted by Ghana Gazette @ 9:44 AM 
