B.C. the best place in Canada to experience Saturday's solar eclipse

An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth while it is at its farthest point from Earth. Because the Moon is farther away from Earth, it appears smaller than the Sun and does not completely cover the star. This creates a “ring of fire” effect in the sky. (NASA/Bill Dunford)

Make sure not to sleep in on Saturday, British Columbians. We’re in the best location in Canada to view a partial solar eclipse coming to the Americas on the morning of Oct. 14.

In store is an annular solar eclipse, also known as a “ring of fire” eclipse. The phenomenon happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth when it’s at its farthest point from earth, which makes it appear smaller than the sun and does not completely cover the star, according to NASA.

The eclipse will begin in Oregon before sweeping diagonally across the United States, Mexico and then on to Central and South America. And while a collection of U.S. states will have the best view of the eclipse, it will appear as a partial eclipse across Canada.

Orbax, a science communicator from the department of physics at the University of Guelph, told CTVNews.ca that nowhere in Canada will see the full “ring of fire” effect, but the eclipse will appear fuller the more south and west you are. That means the Lower Mainland and southern Vancouver Island are in for the most dramatic show in the country.

The partial eclipse will appear for us as if a dark shadow has fallen over the side of the sun, taking a slice out of it and dimming its overall brightness, he explained.

Now, the forecast calls for a rainy Saturday in Vancouver, which could put a damper on the view of the astronomical phenomenon. But even if we can’t see the eclipsed sun due to overcast, the sky will darken during the eclipse.

The moon will obscure 70 to 80 per cent of the sun for those in the southwest corner of B.C., with the rest of the province seeing 50 to 70 per cent coverage.

In Vancouver, the partial eclipse begins at 8:08 a.m. on Saturday, will reach its peak at 9:20 a.m. and end at 10:38 a.m., according to timeanddate.com.

Saturday’s solar eclipse will be the last chance for British Columbians to experience one for quite some time, according to Orbax. On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Eastern Canada, but after that, the country won’t have a good view of one for a while.

“We have a few partial eclipses coming up in the next decade or so, but those are with very small coverage. Your next full, total eclipse after April is going to be like 20 to 25 years,” he said.

As such, British Columbians should definitely not hit snooze on Saturday—but remember to never look directly at the sun during an eclipse.

Because the sun is not completely blocked by the moon during an annular solar eclipse, it’s never safe to look directly at the sun without specialized solar-viewing equipment, according to NASA. Even viewing the sun through a camera, binoculars or telescope without a special solar filter will “instantly cause severe eye injury,” the agency writes. 

If you want to watch the eclipse head-on, there will be solar eclipse glasses available to borrow from the University of British Columbia’s astronomy department.

With files from CTVNews.ca’s Alexandra Mae Jones.