On Wednesday afternoon, residents of Newfoundland and Labrador had the opportunity to witness a partial solar eclipse, depending on the weather conditions. The eclipse began in Churchill Falls at 1:37 AT (2:07 NT) and gradually unfolded across the province. The event was projected to conclude in St. John’s at 4:37 p.m. NT, with the moon obscuring about 50% of the sun’s surface in Newfoundland.
At the Johnson Geo Centre in St. John’s, an enthusiastic crowd gathered to observe the moon passing in front of the sun, equipped with special safety glasses for viewing. The watch party, held from 12 p.m. NT to 5 p.m., was organized in collaboration with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and STEM Girls.
Astronomer Hiding Neilson from Memorial University remarked on the eclipse, describing the sight through his telescope as the moon “eating the sun up.” Neilson expressed admiration for the rarity of the event, noting that such a partial eclipse occurs approximately every 50 years, emphasizing the uniqueness of solar eclipses in our solar system.
Ahead of the eclipse, Andrea van Nostrand, the lead of education and interpretation at the Geo Centre, highlighted the engaging activities planned, including creating solar viewing tools for children to safely observe the phenomenon without direct sun exposure. Van Nostrand described the eclipse as “pretty spectacular,” emphasizing the awe-inspiring experience of witnessing an object move in front of the sun with the aid of protective gear.
In comparison, a total solar eclipse was set to be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a small portion of Portugal. For some enthusiasts like Jennifer Waye and Gabriela Fuentes Waye, who had previously witnessed a total eclipse, the experience motivated them to travel to Spain to witness this rare celestial event once again. The duo expressed excitement about the anticipated beauty of the eclipse and the communal experience of sharing it with others.
In Canada, regions further north and east were forecasted to witness a more complete solar eclipse, with Alert, Nunavut, expected to have the best view in the country, as the sun would be 94% covered.