Rare solar event to be visible Monday in parts of Canada

On Monday, many people in Saskatchewan will be able to view a solar eclipse.

A solar eclipse is when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun from view for parts of the globe. The eclipse is either total or partial, depending on where you are on the planet.

The type of eclipse people experience will depend on where they are in the country when it happens. Many people in Saskatchewan won’t get to view the full total eclipse as it will mainly impact people in Eastern Canada, but we will get to see a partial one.

Brent Burlingham of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in Saskatoon, said this year’s event is largely different from most.

“Eclipses are relatively rare,” he told CKOM Morning Show host Mark Loshack. “You usually get one every few years, and they tend to be in remote locations, so this one’s kind of significant because it’s in a civilized area where there are lots of places where people can go to view the eclipse.

“The total eclipse starts out in Mazatlan, goes up through the States and up into Eastern Canada, and that’s the total eclipse.”

Anyone who plans to take a peek during the event is urged to take precautions. Even though the sun will be slightly blocked by the moon during the eclipse, people are still staring at the sun, which could damage their eyes.

Burlingham said that there are some rules people should follow to keep their eyes safe.

“Number one is that you don’t look at the sun without some kind of certified solar filter, something that’s ISO certified,” he said. “There are eclipse glasses that you can get, and NASA says you can use welder’s goggles as long as they’re shade 12 or stronger. But you need some sort of protection or else you can seriously damage your eyes.”

The eclipse will have about four minutes of totality if people are within its trajectory.

From 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., the observatory in Saskatoon will be hosting an event during which telescopes with solar filters will be set up for the public to view the partial eclipse. The University of Saskatchewan will also be livestreaming the event online.

People who miss out on the eclipse will have to wait until 2044 to see the next one.