On Saturday, October 14, Albertans will be treated to an eclipse.
Not just any eclipse, but a partial annular eclipse. This occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, but the apparent size of the moon is smaller than that of the sun. This causes the sun to appear as a very bright ring, or annulus, surrounding the moon’s dark disk.
In Alberta, the moon will cover about 70% of the sun at the apex of the eclipse. The full (100% covered) annular eclipse path will cross parts of the western United States, including Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.
The partial eclipse will begin in the Calgary area on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at 9:14 a.m., with the maximum coverage at 10:26 a.m. The eclipse will end at 11:45 a.m., with the event lasting for 2 hours and 31 minutes.
Just like any outdoor adventure, you’ll need proper preparations to enjoy your eclipse safely viewing adventures.
Below are a few tips from NASA:
- Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, it is only safe to look directly at the Sun with specialized eye protection for solar viewing.
- Watching any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter will cause severe eye injury.
- Always use safe solar viewing glasses or a handheld solar viewer, even during partial or annular solar eclipses.
- No matter how dark, regular sunglasses are unsafe for viewing the sun. Safe solar viewers should comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard.
- If you don’t have eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, use an indirect viewing method like a homemade pinhole projector.
- The sun will still be bright even during a partial or annular eclipse. If you’re watching the entire eclipse, you might be in direct sunlight for hours. Wear sunscreen, a hat, and protective clothing to prevent skin damage.
- Before using a solar filter with a camera, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device, seek advice from knowledgeable experts. You can burn out your camera sensor, especially when using telephoto lenses pointed at the sun.
- Always supervise children during an eclipse and ensure they use proper eye protection
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has a Calgary chapter that will be doing an outing to help people safely watch the partial eclipse.
Cross your fingers for clear skies, pack a lunch and your eclipse-watching gear and spend the morning outside for a real heavenly adventure!
