Hundreds of people gathered at the Saskatchewan Science Centre for an experience of a lifetime — a solar eclipse.
It’s the first solar eclipse since 1979. In parts of the United States — through the path of totality – temperatures dropped and for a few minutes, the sun was completely obscured by the moon.
Regina saw a partial eclipse at about 80 per cent obscurity. Despite the partial obscurity, residents said it’s a phenomenon rarely seen.
“You don’t get to see something this close, this often in your lifetime… It’s fun to educate people to have them realize and understand,” Royal Astronomical Society of Canada volunteer Gerry Hodges explained.
“I’m only going to see this twice in my life, it’s amazing,” 11-year-old Corbin Shaw said.
“Pretty dang cool.”
The safest way to view any solar eclipse is through solar eclipse glasses. Experts advised against looking directly at the sun, even for a brief moment as the harsh rays could cause irreparable damage.
The special glasses were the hottest commodity in the city and hundreds lined up outside the Saskatchewan Science Centre hoping for a pair.
However, demand greatly outweighed supply and some families were left scrambling as the centre ran out of the specialized glasses.
According to Saskatchewan Science Centre’s Ryan Holota, the lack of supply was not specific to just Regina.
“There was a real shortage of glasses. Not just here, but just worldwide for them but we got as many pairs as we could,” Holota said.
He encouraged people who had glasses to share the wealth with other family and friends.
The next partial solar eclipse viewable from Saskatchewan will happen on April 8, 2024 but we’ll only experience around a 40 percent coverage. The next total eclipse where we will see significant obscurity will be 2044.