Partial eclipse sparks excitement in our community

Southern Manitoba will have the chance to observe a partial solar eclipse on Monday, depending on weather conditions. 

Darren Enns of Morden has been interested in science and astronomy since he was a child, "It was always my favorite subject in school. Any kind of science was of great interest to me. Early on I fell in love with astronomy." 

Enns says that “millions of people in North America are going to have a chance to view a total solar eclipse this coming Monday if they live in the right locations and if the weather cooperates. This is the most amazing astronomy sight they could ever experience.” 

In Southern Manitoba, we won't get to see the full eclipse, however we will have the opportunity to see a partial solar eclipse says Enns, “for us, it starts at 12:52 in the afternoon on Monday and ends at 3:06 in the afternoon, with a maximum sun blockage eclipse occurring at 2:00 PM. For us here, the sun will be blocked or eclipsed by about 50.4% at that time, so just a little over half.” 

A solar eclipse happens when the moon is positioned between where we are on the Earth, and the sun, during a new moon. “So, if we're standing completely within the moon shadow when that happens, the sun will be blocked out of our view completely, and that is what a total solar eclipse is. If only part of the moon shadow blocks our view of the sun, then it's a partial solar eclipse”, says Enns. 

Enns reflects on a memory that is dear to him, “One of the most amazing experiences I've had in my entire life was seeing the total solar eclipse that we had here in February 1979 when I was 16 years old. I was so excited. I skipped school that day, which I'd never done before. I think the Museum of Man and Nature gave away free glasses at that time, like paper ones, and I still have that original paper glasses.” 

Full eclipse, 1979. Photo submitted by Darren Enns.

We hope that the weather will allow us to see the a partial solar eclipse on Monday. Enns has some final words to help us enjoy the special day, “if you plan to watch it and the weather cooperates, I hope that everyone does it safely with proper filters or glasses, and if you have the right filters for a camera which might also be damaged otherwise, you might want to try to capture a tube especially if you have a telephoto lens. Please watch the news and read the websites to see their news, and footage of the total eclipse for the people that get to see it directly.” 

Partial eclipse, 2012. Photo submitted by Darren Enns.