Thus, the Moon will appear smaller than the Sun from Earth and a ring of the Sun will appear around the Moon, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) explains on its website.
Residents of southwestern British Columbia are in the best place to view the partial solar eclipse on Saturday morning.
The eclipse begins at 8:08 a.m. local time, peaks at about 9:20 a.m. and ends at 10:38 a.m. in Vancouver, although the weather forecast may be disappointing for viewers.
Environment Canada expects clouds and rain showers across much of southwestern British Columbia, where the moon will block 70 to 80 per cent of the sun.
This partial eclipse will also be visible in Quebec “between 12:11 p.m. and 2:23 p.m.,” the Astronomical Society of Montreal Planetarium (SAPM) notes on its website.
“In Montreal, a maximum of 17% of the sun will be eclipsed during maximum eclipse at 1:17 p.m. However, elsewhere in Canada the maximum can reach 79%.”
Observe the eclipse safely
“During a solar eclipse, it is necessary to wear filtering glasses designed for observing the eclipse (international standard ISO 12312-2). Simple sunglasses are not suitable and do not adequately protect the eyes for this type of observation,” the CSA states.
“You should not look directly into the sun without adequate protection, otherwise it may cause serious problems including partial or complete loss of vision,” warns the ASC.
If you do not have suitable glasses with the necessary filter, the ASC explains 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 maximum shadow 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 get the best view.
