'Our place in the universe': Southern Albertans take in partial solar eclipse

Southern Albertans gathered at the Lethbridge observatory to view the partial solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. (CTV News)

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. -

Whether through a telescope or solar viewing glasses, southern Albertans were treated to a 30 per cent partial solar eclipse Monday.

Dozens of people descended on the Lethbridge observatory for the celestial event.

“This is really a once-in-a-lifetime event and we don't get too many eclipses in a lifetime so it's nice to come view it,” said Mark Vella, who was at the observatory.

“It’s also blue sky so you couldn’t have asked for better conditions than this.”

“I travelled to Lethbridge, especially to see the partial solar eclipse,” said Malik Merchart. “I read the Lethbridge news and it told me it was going to be four per cent more over here than in Calgary.”

Eastern parts of North America were treated to a total solar eclipse.

In Lethbridge, the eclipse began at 11:45 a.m. and reached its peak at 12:43 p.m. when just over 30 per cent of the sun was covered.

“As we know, the earth orbits the sun and the moon orbits the earth and we know, reasonably precisely, where these things are at any given time and it just so happens that every year and a half or so we have the moon passing in between the sun and the earth,” explained Locke Spencer, University of Lethbridge chair of the department of physics and astronomy.

While total solar eclipses are rare, partial eclipses are more common, such as when Lethbridge experienced an 81 per cent eclipse back in 2017.

“There's always elevated interest in especially solar eclipses,” said Parry Sabey, with the Lethbridge Astronomy Society.

“Solar eclipses on average happen two and a half times every year, but they tend to happen in the ocean most of all because most of the earth's surface is ocean.”

Around 40 people took in the partial eclipse at the observatory. Spencer says while it's great to see the spectacle, he's also thrilled to see the interest in space grow.

“The sky is for everybody,” Spencer said “The stars at night, I think, have different meanings for different people and cultures and everything, but we can all get a glimpse of our place in the universe as we contemplate what the cosmos have for us.”

Lethbridge will see another partial solar eclipse in about a year and a half and again in 2029.

“We will get a total solar eclipse in Lethbridge in 2044, in August, so set your calendars now,” Spencer said.