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Claim: A Facebook user claimed that Nigeria will witness a total solar eclipse on April 8.
Verdict: FALSE. According to the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA), Nigeria is not one of the countries that will witness a total solar eclipse on April 8.
Full Text
News about the total solar eclipse happening in some parts of the world is currently trending on social media. The total eclipse of the solar system will take place on April 8, according to the US National Aeronautics Space Administration.
A Facebook user, Onogwu Adah James, claimed that a total solar eclipse would be experienced in Nigeria.
The post was captioned thus:
“SAVE THE DATE, IT WILL BE HISTORIC! On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible and will turn day into night in Nigeria and Some Parts of the World. Temperature will drop, animals will get muddy, and darkness will turn sunlight into night. We won’t see another total solar eclipse like this for 375 years.
A Total Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking out the Sun’s light for a brief period. This phenomenon happens because of the relative sizes and distances of the Sun, Moon, and Earth. During a total solar eclipse, the sky darkens dramatically, and the Sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona, becomes visible. Total solar eclipses are rare events that attract significant attention from astronomers, scientists, and the public alike.”
There were some doubtful reactions to his post.
Mathew Uza wrote, “Sheybi NASA done come out debunk this phenomenon? Which way now.”
But Onogwu responded, “Which NASA debunks it? You can equally do your research and don’t leave everything to NASA. Mind you, it’s not only Nigeria that will experience it.”
Also, Danjuma Ochoechi commented on the post, “Not so, it will only happen in North America and will only last for 4-minutes.”
Onogwu insisted it would also happen in Nigeria, saying, “Do your research well before the conclusion. Nigeria is inclusive.”
DUBAWA decided to verify the claim after seeing the engagement level in the post and the contrary comments.
Verification
According to NASA, a total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.
NASA announced that, on April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
DUBAWA observed that NASA didn’t include Nigeria as part of the country that will experience the eclipse.
Further, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has debunked a claim on the TikTok platform that the earth was in total darkness for some days since April 8 due to the sun’s eclipse.
While debunking the claim, Mr Felix Ale, NASRDA Director of media and corporate communications, said the four-minute eclipse would not even be witnessed in Africa.
“It will happen on the North American axis. We will not feel it here because it will be at night in Africa. The eclipse will only last for four minutes, and it will not affect us at all,” he said.
Also, DUBAWA observed that no major news outlet reported that the eclipse would occur in Nigeria.
Conclusion
The claim that Nigeria will experience a solar eclipse is false. According to NASA, the solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada.
