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By Jaryn Vecchio

Special Sight

Partial solar eclipse happening over Saskatchewan on Saturday

Oct 12, 2023 | 5:00 PM

People across Saskatchewan will be able to see a partial solar eclipse this weekend.

The moon will pass between the sun and Earth for a couple of hours on Saturday morning. The eclipse should start around 9:20 a.m. and last until roughly 11:50 a.m.

Tim Yaworski, a national member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, explained it should peak around 10:20 a.m. for most communities.

“It’s kind of gonna look like how a moon looks in a children’s book, that crescent with a big bite taken out of it,” he said.

In Prince Albert and nearby areas, people will see around 45 per cent of the sun covered during peak time. The eclipse will look like a ring of fire for many people in the U.S. as the moon covers around 95 per cent of the sun.

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The last time Saskatchewan saw a partial eclipse was in 2017. Those who miss out on Saturday won’t have to wait another six years as another is set to happen on April. 8, 2024.

Meanwhile, people should only look at either eclipse if they do so safely.

Staring directly at the sun can damage your eye, while certain eye protection like welding goggles aren’t much better.

“They can cut back on the light coming from the sun, but it doesn’t cut back on the ultraviolet and it’s the ultraviolet that does the damage to your eyes,” said Yaworski.

The best way to watch the eclipse is by using eclipse glasses, though these must be ordered ahead of time. Yaworski explained people can also use their arts and crafts skills to build their own viewing devices.

“You can take a cereal box or shoe box with a white piece of paper, some tape, and a piece of tin foil and turn that into a viewer that will let you look at that eclipse with the sun at your back… it’s like you’re staring into a little projection box,” he said.

Those in the Saskatoon area on Saturday can also join Yaworski as he and the Meewasin Valley Authority are holding a safe viewing party. Tickets are available online.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow