Saskatchewan residents looked to the skies. Some saw mostly clouds
Crowds of people across Saskatchewan were outside on Monday hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare celestial spectacle that made news across the continent.
Depending on where you were in the province, how much of the solar eclipse you got to see varied – but the excitement was evident everywhere.
When Loretta Iris heard her birthday coincided with the solar eclipse, she wanted to mark the day in a special way.
“I thought it’d be fun to celebrate my birthday with other people,” Iris told CTV News.
In Saskatoon, the clouds hampered her ability to see the eclipse, but that didn’t stop her unique celebration.
“It’s exciting. It’s happening around the world. I love these things where they’re global events where we can stop and pause and be together,” she said.
In Regina, the clear skies meant optimal viewing of the partial eclipse.
(GarethDillistone/CTVNews)
“We’ll see the moon move in front of the sun and cover about 41 per cent of it in Regina and Saskatoon 45 per cent,” said Kevin Fenwick, with the Royal Astronomical Association of Canada.
In some parts of North America, like in Mexico, it was a total eclipse, meaning brief darkness. In our province, there was still enough sunshine that it didn’t seem darker.
“If you’ve got proper eye protection and you look at it through those glasses, it will look like Pac man took a chunk out of the sun as the moon moves in front of the sun,” Fenwick said.
Saskatoon eclipse watchers weren’t deterred by the clouds, judging by those gathered at the University of Saskatchewan observatory.
“The weather is your enemy sometimes and you just get used to it but we still have people asking questions and answering questions and hopefully getting some interest stirred up in astronomy and astronomical events,” said Brent Burlingham, president of the Royal Astronomical Association of Canada in Saskatoon.
Stacey Neudorf said it was a great way to teach her daughter about the universe.
“I think it’s a great learning experience for everyone and I’m excited to show her the telescope, and show her more about the universe,” she said.
Outside the Saskatoon observatory around 1:30 p.m., there was a glimmer of hope when the clouds broke up a bit.
All eyes turned skyward to get a glimpse of the eclipse through the clouds.
It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make the wait worth it.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Grayson Murray's parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide
Grayson Murray's parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event.
The dreams of a 60-year-old beauty contestant come to an abrupt end in Argentina
A 60-year-old woman saw her dreams of becoming the oldest Miss Universe contestant in history melt away in a haze of sequins and selfies Saturday at Argentina’s annual beauty pageant.
North Korea informs Japan of a plan to launch military spy satellite
North Korea has told Japan it plans to launch a satellite by early next week, an apparent effort to put its second military spy satellite into orbit.
2 died in plane crash near Squamish, B.C., police confirm
Two people died after a plane went down in a remote area near Squamish, B.C. on Friday, authorities have confirmed.
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
Are you a loud snorer? You could have sleep apnea
You'll have a lot more energy throughout the day if you get a good night's sleep, but not everyone does due to a medical condition.
At least 15 dead after severe weather carves path of ruin across multiple U.S. states in the South
Powerful storms killed at least 15 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
Some birds may use 'mental time travel,' study finds
Real quick — what did you have for lunch yesterday? Were you with anyone? Where were you? Can you picture the scene? The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to go back and recall little incidental details, is a hallmark of what psychologists call episodic memory — and new research indicates that it’s an ability humans may share with birds called Eurasian jays.