Where to view rare upcoming eclipse, get free glasses in Metro Vancouver

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A rare total solar eclipse will be viewable in parts of Canada and Metro Vancouver this Monday, but West Coast folks won’t have the best view.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon comes between the sun and Earth, with the moon casting a shadow on our home planet.

“Vancouver, BC, unfortunately, will not be in the dark part of the moon’s shadow, so we will not see a total eclipse. But we will be in the fuzzy part of the shadow, so we would see a partial solar eclipse, where the moon covers only a part of the sun,” Joanna Woo, a lecturer at the SFU Department of Physics and Director of SFU Trottier Observatory, told Daily Hive.

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Speaking of the SFU Trottier Observatory, if you want to get free glasses to see this partial solar eclipse, SFU is hosting folks for free.

It’ll take place between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm on Monday.

“We will set up our solar telescopes for the public and have some solar eclipse eyeglasses for all to use. Open to all ages, admission is free, no pre-registration required, but this event is weather-permitting.”

It’s not entirely clear if you get to keep the glasses, which are a hot commodity.

The forecast doesn’t look promising, with Environment and Climate Change Canada calling for rain for most of Monday.

“Anyone lucky enough to stand along the path of totality will see a total solar eclipse, where the moon appears to block the Sun entirely, the sky will be dark enough to see the stars, and the corona of the sun (ie, its atmosphere) will be visible,” Woo said.

What makes this eclipse so unique, though?

According to Woo, a comet might be visible during the totality of the event (when the Sun is completely covered).

“If it’s somebody’s first time seeing a total solar eclipse, I would advise against looking for the comet because it might be hard to find, and totality only lasts a few minutes. Take the time instead to absorb the full experience of seeing a black circle in the sky surrounded by the beautiful wispy corona of the Sun,” Woo added.