Just a few weeks after the total lunar eclipse, there's another celestial event happening!
On Thursday morning, some lucky Canadians will be able to see the sun appear as a “ring of fire” around the moon.
As NASA explains, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes directly between the sun and Earth during its orbit, blocking the light of the sun from reaching Earth and casting a shadow on a portion of the planet.
There are three main types of solar eclipses: total, partial and annular. This one is special because it will be an annular solar eclipse, which only happens when the moon is farthest away from Earth and covers all but the outer edge of the sun.
Anyone interested in witnessing the event is strongly advised to wear protective eyewear since staring at the eclipse directly, can severely damage the eyes, even causing temporary or permanent blindness.
Please be aware that regular sunglasses do not provide protection against the eclipse — instead, the Canadian Space Agency recommends the use of specialty glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard.
Of course, you can also construct your own eclipse projector using a cardboard box as they teach in schools, which permits the user to observe the event safely.
The eclipse will also be live-streamed on Thursday for those looking to watch from home.
If you can't catch it tomorrow morning, you will have to wait a few more years for the next opportunity. The next full eclipse will happen on April 8, 2024.
Here are the times of the eclipse for some major Canadian cities, beginning with sunrise (all are approximate local times):
Yellowknife: 3:44 a.m. (partial). Maximum eclipse at 4:25 a.m.; partial ends at 5:22 a.m.
Iqaluit: 2:18 a.m. (partial begins). Maximum eclipse (annular) at 6:08 a.m.; partial ends at 7:13 a.m.
Inuvik: 3:46 a.m. (partial). Maximum eclipse at 4:42 a.m.; partial ends at 5:39 a.m.
Vancouver: Not visible
Edmonton/Calgary: Not visible
Regina/Saskatoon: 4:47 a.m. (partial). Maximum eclipse at 4:51 a.m.; partial ends at 5 a.m.
Winnipeg: 5:20 a.m. (partial). Maximum eclipse at 5:24 a.m.; partial ends at 5:55 a.m.
Toronto: 5:35 a.m. (partial). Maximum eclipse at 5:40 a.m.; partial ends at 6:37 a.m.
Ottawa: 5:15 a.m. (partial). Maximum eclipse at 5:40 a.m.; partial ends at 6:40 a.m.
Montreal: 5:05 a.m. (partial). Maximum eclipse at 5:40 a.m.; partial ends at 5:39 a.m.
Fredericton: 5:21 a.m. (partial). Maximum eclipse at 6:36 a.m.; partial ends at 7:38 a.m.
Charlottetown: 5:20 a.m. (partial). Maximum eclipse at 6:35 a.m.; partial ends at 7:38 a.m.
Halifax: 5:28 a.m. (partial). Maximum eclipse at 6:33 a.m.; partial ends at 7:35 a.m.
St. John's: 5:03 a.m. (partial). Maximum eclipse at 7:05 a.m.; partial ends 8:10 a.m.
Source: Canadian Space Agency
