Newfoundland and Labrador residents had the opportunity to witness a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday afternoon, depending on the weather. The eclipse began in Churchill Falls at 1:37 AT (2:07 NT) and gradually unfolded across the province. The event was expected to conclude in St. John’s at 4:37 p.m. NT, with the moon covering around 50 percent of the sun in Newfoundland.
A watch party at the Johnson Geo Centre in St. John’s provided a thrilling experience for attendees as they observed the moon passing in front of the sun using special safety viewing glasses. The event, which ran from 12 p.m. NT to 5 p.m., was organized in collaboration with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and STEM Girls.
Astronomer Neilson from Memorial University expressed his excitement at witnessing the moon gradually obscuring the sun through his telescope during the watch party. He emphasized the rarity of such events, noting that a partial eclipse like this occurs only approximately every 50 years, hinting that it may be a while before another one is seen in Newfoundland.
The lead of education and interpretation at the Geo Centre, Andrea van Nostrand, highlighted the spectacular nature of the eclipse, mentioning that engaging in activities like creating solar viewing tools for children enhanced the experience. Meanwhile, a total solar eclipse was set to be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a small portion of Portugal.
The event also inspired a mother-daughter duo, Jennifer Waye and Gabriela Fuentes Waye, who had previously seen a total eclipse and traveled to Spain to witness this one. They anticipated a mesmerizing experience amidst a crowd of fellow spectators. In Canada, regions further north and east were expected to witness a more complete solar eclipse, with Alert, Nunavut, projected to have the best view at 94 percent coverage of the sun.