Applause erupted as brief sunny spells allowed about 100 people gathered at an astrophysical observatory near Victoria, British Columbia, to catch a glimpse of Saturday’s partial solar eclipse. .
Calvin Schmidt, an employee of the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich, said fog and clouds were present for most of the morning at the mountaintop site, but there were had times when the sky cleared and the partial eclipse was visible.
Mr Schmidt says these moments of solar splendor were worth the wait, even though some reports said skies were almost completely clear in parts of Victoria, giving residents a sustained view of the partial eclipse.
Residents of southwestern British Columbia were in the best place in Canada to view the solar eclipse.
The event is known as a “ring of fire” eclipse, where the moon passes in front of the sun, but does not completely cover it, leaving a rim of fire around the dark moon.
Environment Canada predicted clouds and showers across much of southwestern British Columbia, where the moon will block 70 to 80 per cent of the sun.
This partial eclipse was also visible in Quebec “between 12:11 p.m. and 2:23 p.m.,” indicated the Astronomical Society of the Planetarium of Montreal (SAPM) on its website.
“In Montreal, the Sun will be eclipsed by a maximum of 17% during the maximum of the eclipse at 1:17 p.m. However, elsewhere in Canada the maximum could be 79%,” it said.
The partial eclipse also provided an impressive spectacle for parts of the western United States. She traveled through Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas, as well as parts of California, Arizona and Colorado. It will then cross the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Brazil.
Observing an eclipse safely
“During a solar eclipse, it is essential to wear filter glasses designed for observing eclipses (international standard ISO 12312-2). Simple sunglasses are not suitable and do not adequately protect the eyes for this type of observation,” recalls the Canadian Space Agency.
“You should not look directly at the Sun without adequate protection, otherwise it can cause serious problems including partial or total loss of vision,” warns the ASC.
If you do not have suitable glasses with the necessary filter, the ASC shows on its website how to make a suitable filter using a box.
The next total solar eclipse will be visible in Canada on April 8. The shadow band of the maximum of the eclipse will then sweep across Mexico, the United States and eastern Canada. This time, it will be Canadians in parts of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador who will have the best view.