Cheers greeted the brief cloud breaks that gave more than 100 people gathered at an astrophysical observatory site near Victoria, B.C., a peek at Saturday’s partial solar eclipse. Fog and clouds dominated the morning at the mountain-top site, but there were moments when the skies cleared and the partial eclipse became visible. Calvin Schmidt, an employee of the non-profit Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich, stated that those sporadic moments of solar splendor made the wait worthwhile. However, reports indicate that the skies were nearly clear in certain areas of Victoria, allowing residents there to enjoy a sustained view of the partial eclipse.
Despite the mostly cloudy conditions, Schmidt mentioned that there were occasions when the fog briefly dissipated enough for observers to catch a glimpse of the eclipse without using glasses. The eclipse would then disappear, only to reappear again. Schmidt described the experience as exciting, with people cheering whenever the eclipse suddenly became visible. Certified eclipse glasses were provided to ensure safe viewing, but due to the frequent cloud cover, many moments of the morning eclipse were missed.
Southwestern B.C. was deemed the best location in Canada to witness the eclipse. Known as a ring-of-fire eclipse, it featured the moon passing in front of the sun, creating a fiery rim around the dark moon. The forecast from Environment Canada predicted cloudiness and showers for a significant portion of southwest B.C. during the morning eclipse. The moon was expected to block out 70 to 80 percent of the sun in that region, while the rest of the province anticipated 50 to 70 percent coverage.
Laura Flinn, a physics instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Vancouver, mentioned that North Americans won’t have to wait long to witness the phenomenon again. A complete solar eclipse is set to occur on April 8, 2024, and will be visible in parts of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Flinn reminded everyone not to look directly at the sun during the eclipse to avoid eye damage.
Despite the less-than-ideal weather conditions, Schmidt stated that everyone who came to the observatory went home satisfied. He acknowledged that it would have been better if the clouds had completely cleared for a continuous view of the eclipse, but they were grateful for the opportunity to see enough of it.