A crowd numbering in the thousands turned out Monday morning in Kelowna for a public viewing of the partial solar eclipse.
The event at the curling club property was organized by the local chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Club members set up telescopes equipped with filters to safely view the event. They also handed out hundreds of disposable, solar-safe eye glasses.
Get daily news
“We are looking at the moon crossing in front of the sun,” said society spokesperson Jim Tisdale. “Eighty-three per cent of the sun will be covered.”
At peak coverage under the clear sky, people noticed daylight darkened and the temperature dropped.
It has been a long time since a partial eclipse of such magnitude has been visible in the Okanagan.
“Well over 100 years ago I would think,” said Tisdale.
The next partial eclipse in the region is in 2024.