Albertans can see partial solar eclipse Saturday morning
Posted October 13, 2023 2:55 pm.
Last Updated October 13, 2023 3:02 pm.
If you look up at the sky Saturday morning, you may be able to see a partial solar eclipse. But it can be dangerous to the naked eye.
An annular eclipse differs from a total eclipse in that the moon doesn’t fully block out the sun. As a result, viewers along the darkest part of the path will see a “ring of fire” around the moon.
Why you’re encouraged to wear eye protection when checking it out?
“[Solar eclipse viewing glasses are] safe, they basically filter up 99.99 per cent of the light, they only let in a small percentage of the light through, they filter all of the harmful rays away from the sun,” explained Frank Florian, Senior Manager of planetarium and space sciences at TELUS World of Science.
Unfortunately for Canadians, we won’t see the full effects of the particular eclipse. In Edmonton, the moon will cover about 54 per cent of the sun.
“It almost looks like the cookie monster took a bite out of the sun,” said Florian.
TELUS World of Science is offering a free telescope viewing to see the moon partially cover the sun.
Florian says the partial eclipse will last about two and a half hours with the mid-eclipse reaching its maximum at 10:28 a.m. in Edmonton.
