MONTREAL — Applause erupted as the hundred or so people gathered at an astrophysical observatory near Victoria, British Columbia, caught a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse that erupted Saturday through brief periods of sunshine.
Calvin Schmidt, an employee of the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich, said there was fog and clouds at the mountain peak for most of the morning, but there were times when the sky cleared and the partial solar eclipse was visible.
Mr Schmidt says these moments of solar splendor were worth the wait, although some reports suggest skies are almost completely clear in parts of Victoria, allowing residents to see the partial solar eclipse permanently.
Residents of southwestern British Columbia were the best place in Canada to view the eclipse.
The event is known as a “ring of fire eclipse,” in which 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 has forecast clouds and showers for much of southwest British Columbia, where the moon will block 70 to 80 percent of the sun.
This partial solar eclipse was also visible in Quebec “between 12:11 p.m. and 2:23 p.m.,” the Astronomical Society of the Planetarium of Montreal (SAPM) said on its website.
“In Montreal, the sun will be eclipsed by a maximum of 17% during the maximum solar eclipse at 1:17 p.m. However, elsewhere in Canada the maximum could be 79%,” it said.
The partial solar 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 into Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Brazil.
Watch a solar eclipse safely
“During a solar eclipse, wearing filter glasses for observing solar eclipses is essential (international standard ISO 12312-2). Simple sunglasses are not suitable for this type of observation and do not adequately protect the eyes,” reminds the Canadian Space Agency.
“You should not look directly at the sun without adequate protection, otherwise this can lead to serious problems including partial or complete loss of vision,” warns the ASC.
If you don’t 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 8th. The shadow band of the eclipse’s maximum will then extend over 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 views.