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Saturday, October 14 will see a partial solar eclipse visible in many parts of Canada to some degree, weather dependent.
A partial solar eclipse happens when only a part of the sun is hidden by the moon. That’s what Canada is getting. In parts of the US, Central America and South America will see an annular eclipse. That’s when the moon is closer to the sun and the Moon appears smaller than the sun. This is also know as the Ring of Fire eclipse.
Viewing times in Canada
The following table from the Royal Astronomical Society’s Observers’s Handbook 2023 shows coverage for select cities in Canada. All times are local.
| Begin Eclipse | Maximum Eclipse | Eclipse Ends | Fraction of the Sun obscured (Approximation) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 8:09 a.m. | 9:20 a.m. | 10:38 a.m. | 76% |
| Calgary | 9:14 a.m. | 10:27 a.m. | 11:45 a.m. | 61% |
| Regina | 10:21 a.m. | 11:35 a.m. | 12:54 p.m. | 51% |
| Winnipeg | 10:29 a.m. | 11:42 a.m. | 1:00 p.m. | 42% |
| Windsor | 11:47 a.m. | 1:05 p.m. | 2:26 p.m. | 34% |
| Toronto | 11:56 a.m. | 1:10 p.m. | 2:25 p.m. | 27% |
| Ottawa | 12:06 p.m. | 1:14 p.m. | 2:23 p.m. | 20% |
| Montreal | 12:12 p.m. | 1:18 p.m. | 2:24 p.m. | 17% |
| Halifax | 1:43 p.m. | 2:37 p.m. | 3:29 p.m. | 8% |
| St. John’s | 2:54 p.m. | 3:22 p.m. | 3:48 p.m. | 1% |
How to view the eclipse
Looking at the sun directly without protection is dangerous. On its eclipse page, the Canadian Space Agency states that “during any solar eclipse, it is imperative to wear special glasses with filters designed for eclipse watching (ISO 12312-2 international standard) to prevent eye damage. Regular sunglasses will not protect your eyes sufficiently.”
NASA suggests that you view the sun using “eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer.” Your local astronomy group, likely through the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, or college/university and planetarium will have the proper equipment.
Next April 8, Canada is fortunate to be in the path of a total solar eclipse. The Canadian Space Agency has just published some information on this event.
