‘Foreign Objects Spotted In Northern Nigeria’

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 •UNN To Monitor Space From New Gigantic Telescope

METEORITES, the foreign objects from space, have been falling in some parts of Northern Nigeria, renowned Nigerian Physicist and Space Scientist, Professor P.N. Okeke, has disclosed.

Okeke, who is Director of the National Centre for Basic Space Science, the coordinator of Astronomy in Africa at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, made the disclosure during an exclusive interview with The Guardian.

Okeke whose wife, Francisca Nneka, also a professor of Physics that won the prestigious United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO's) Women in Science Prize for her study on ion in the atmosphere and climate change, said that his centre has been studying meteorites.

According to the Professor, meteorites — massive stones from space — have been picked for about five times somewhere in the Northern part of Nigeria.

"Some of the meteorites are about 10cm radius. Some are 10 kilograms," disclosed Okeke.

On threat of Asteroids, the Professor said that an asteroid is the bigger one while the Meteorite is the smaller objects in space.

According to Professor Okeke who is also a United Nations Consultant in Space Science in Africa, as well as a Fellow of Planetary and Radio Science, Fellow of International Astronomy Astrophysics FIAA "if a big Asteroid falls into this place (Nsukka) it will wipe the whole of Nsukka because some of them are about 60 kilometres in diameter."

Author of over 20 Physics textbooks used in West Africa, Professor Okeke said the Nsukka centre is trying to set up the largest Optical Radio Telescope station in African the construction of which is being done China. It is expected to be installed in Nigeria next year.

The Guardian gathered that the equipment has 25 metre-Dish and a motorized Dome for Optical Observations and also a network of 20 automatic weather stations operating through wireless telemetry for monitoring Nigerian Climate as well as studying Radio Propagation in Nigeria.

The large equipment to monitor space from Nigeria is expected to be erected on 20 plots of land in Nsukka. The centre will be the hub of space Science in Africa with relationship with similar centres in South Africa, Asia, Europe and United States.

Professor Okeke's area of specialization and study is from 1,000 kilometres in the atmosphere while his wife, Professor Mrs. Okeke, studies from the earth's surface to 1,000 kilometres into the atmosphere.

The UNESCO Women in Science Prize won by Mrs. Okeke is being celebrated by the University.

Speaking on the award, Professor Bartholomew Okolo, the Vice Chancellor of  the UNN, said he is elated that a Professor in the university is amongst five persons recognised and awarded the prestigious prize all over the world.



The Guardian