An annular solar eclipse is happening this weekend, and you’ll be able to see it in parts of Canada.
The eclipse will occur on Saturday, October 14, 2023, producing a “ring of fire” phenomenon visible to those viewing it along its path.
During an annular solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and is at its furthest point from the Earth.
As the moon passes over the sun, it doesn’t block the entire star entirely, resulting in a “ring of fire” effect.
The eclipse will be visible in the US, Mexico, and several Central and South American countries. It will also be partially visible in parts of Canada.
NASA
“After touching the surface of the earth at sunrise in the north Pacific Ocean, 1600 kilometres west of Vancouver, the moon’s antumbra will travel southeastward before making landfall in Oregon,” notes Espace pour la vie Montreal on its website.
It will then cross several US states, including Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.
It then travels over the Gulf of Mexico, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil.
“The moon’s antumbra then reaches the Atlantic Ocean where it finally leaves the earth’s surface at sunset,” states Espace pour la vie Montreal.
The annular eclipse is expected to last about four minutes and 15 seconds. However, at the point of maximum eclipse — off the coast of Nicaragua — it will reach five minutes and 17 minutes as the moon will cover 96% of the sun’s surface.
Espace pour la vie Montreal has provided more information on when the partial eclipse will be visible across Canada.
It notes that “the exact times of the eclipse, its duration and maximum coverage of the sun by the moon, depend on the specific geographical coordinates and the elevation above sea level at the observer’s location.” This means not every location will see the “ring of fire.”
The partial eclipse will appear more prominently in locations closest to its “path of annularity,” which is the “period between second and third contact during an annular eclipse,” states NASA.
Espace pour la vie Montreal
According to Espace pour la vie Montreal, Vancouver, the closest major Canadian city to the annular eclipse path, will see about 82% of the sun’s surface covered by the moon.
If you want to see the partial eclipse in Canada, it will begin just after 8 am PST in Vancouver and reach its maximum coverage at 9:20 am.
In Calgary and Edmonton, it starts around 9:15 am MT and reaches its max coverage after 10:25 am.
Those in Montreal and Toronto will experience the maximum coverage at just after 1 pm EDT.
It’s important to note that the further east you are, the smaller portion of the sun will be covered by the moon.
If you plan to view the eclipse, it is crucial to do so with specialized eye protection meant for solar viewing, notes NASA.
“Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury,” adds the space agency.
Viewing the annular solar eclipse is safest when done through solar viewing classes. Regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the sun.
For more information on solar safety, check NASA’s resources here.
This article was originally published on August 24, 2023.
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