A rare solar eclipse took place on Monday morning.
It was visible from 10:40 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. but the best viewing party wasn’t in B.C. as the province is not in the path of totality.
“So the best view in Canada will be right in the east and Toronto, Montreal in particular,” Ingrid Stairs, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of British Columbia, said on Sunday.
“Montreal, just barely in the path of totality. They’ll get a short time. So they’ll have a good view out there. Here, we’re going to get a 28 per cent eclipse at best. So the sun will look a little bit like Pac-Man with a bite taken out of it.”
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth. Totality occurs when the moon’s shadow completely covers the sun.
People along the path of totality saw the sun’s corona or outer atmosphere.
The last time British Columbians saw a solar eclipse was in 2017.
Experts cautioned people to avoid looking directly at the sun during an eclipse and only use safe viewers that meet international standards.
Avoid relying on sunglasses and ski goggles.
Despite the lack of an eclipse in B.C., there were still several public viewing opportunities in the Lower Mainland, including outside the UBC bookstore, SFU’s Trottier Observatory and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre.
Some schools also restricted outdoor activities for young students.
The next total solar eclipse in B.C. will happen in 2099.
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