Albertans have the chance to see a partial solar eclipse this Saturday morning.
According to the Canadian Space Agency, the moon will partially block the sun on Oct. 14 in what is known as an annular solar eclipse. In Alberta people will be able to view a 61 per cent eclipse of the sun. The moon will pass between the sun and earth, but a ring of the sun will remain visible during the eclipse.
The eclipse will begin at around 9:15 a.m., reach its maximum eclipse by around 10:30 a.m. and be finished by 11:45 a.m.
The only safe way to watch the eclipse, NASA states on its website, is through safe solar viewing glasses, eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer.
"Eclipse glasses are not regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun," NASA's website reads. "Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and ought to comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. NASA does not approve any particular brand of solar viewers."
Looking through unfiltered optics, such as a telescope, binoculars or a camera lens, could lead to immediate eye damage as well.
"Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury," said NASA's website.
Solar filters must be fitted to the front of any optic used.
Similarly, NASA advises that holding eclipse glasses or a solar viewer while looking through unfiltered optics, such as a telescope, binoculars or a camera lens, could also lead to similar injury.
One other option NASA put forward is making a pinhole projector.
SkyAndTelescope.org offered visualizations of the paths of the 2023 and 2024 eclipses.
With files from Darlene Casten
