Canadians Will Have the Opportunity to Witness an Annular Solar Eclipse and NASA Will Study the Atmosphere
Canadians will have the chance to witness an annular solar eclipse later this month, which will also provide NASA with an opportunity to study our atmosphere in greater detail. On October 14th, the moon will pass in front of the Sun and block its light in one of the last solar eclipses visible to Canadians for the next few years.
“Eclipses are not as rare as people seem to think,” said Orbax, a science communicator from the University of Guelph. “What the rarity is, is us actually lining up to be able to see. So eclipses happen a few times a year, all across the world, but we’re often not facing the right direction to be able to see it.”
The last total eclipse visible in Canada occurred in 2017. However, this month’s celestial event will be an annular solar eclipse, also known as a “ring of fire” eclipse. Annular solar eclipses happen when the moon is slightly farther away from the Earth than usual and does not completely block the light from the sun. Instead, a bright ring is visible around the moon.
While Canadians won’t be able to see the “ring of fire” itself, a partial eclipse will still be visible across the country. The best view will be in southern British Columbia, where the moon will obscure 70 to 80 percent of the Sun. The rest of the province will see 50 to 70 percent coverage, while the majority of the Prairies will have a 40 to 60 percent obscured Sun. Ontario will experience 20 to 40 percent coverage, depending on the location, and the Atlantic provinces will have the least amount of coverage, with only around 10 percent visible.
However, it is important to note that looking directly at the Sun during an eclipse is not safe. There are various ways to view the eclipse safely, such as using eclipse glasses or welding goggles. NASA has also provided a 3D model to demonstrate the path of the eclipse and which regions of the world will be able to see it.
The eclipse will begin around 12 p.m. EDT and last for a couple of hours. It will start with a small blot on the Sun, growing until it reaches its maximum coverage at around 1 p.m. In Guelph, Ontario, the maximum coverage will be around a third of the Sun.
While Canadians get to enjoy the partial eclipse, scientists at NASA will be using the event to study the impact of a sudden lack of sunlight on our atmosphere, particularly the ionosphere. The mission, called Atmospheric Perturbations around the Eclipse Path (APEP), will launch three rockets from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to investigate the eclipse’s shadow and its effects on the ionosphere. The rockets will measure changes in electric and magnetic fields, density, and temperature.
The next opportunity for Canadians to experience an eclipse will be on April 8, 2024 when a total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Canada. Eastern Canada, including southern Ontario and the Atlantic provinces, will get the best view of this total eclipse. It will also provide a second opportunity for the APEP project to study the atmosphere.
So, if you’re interested in science or have a passion for astronomy, don’t miss the chance to witness this annular solar eclipse and learn something new about our atmosphere. Just make sure to view it safely and protect your eyes.