Achi news desk-
Thousands of Calgarians flocked to the University of Calgary on Monday to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse.
Although only about 40 percent of the sun was covered in Calgary, it was still a special glimpse into the celestial dance that happens every day, that most of us are unaware of.
Astronomers from the U of C astrophysics department, along with members of the Royal Astronomical Society (RASC), set up telescopes and viewing stations and distributed around 500 pairs of eclipse-safe glasses.
Damiloju Lawal was there with his mother and two sisters.
“When you think about it, how they are two very large celestial bodies and they seem small from here but in reality, they are much bigger and grander that I can imagine, it kind of puts you in your place,” said Lawal.
“You realize you’re kind of this little being on this rock floating in the cosmos of space.”
Thousands of Calgarians flocked to the University of Calgary on Monday to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse.
Scientists value eclipses for their ability to provide insight into how Earth’s nearest star works.
Although it is ubiquitous in the daytime sky, there are still solar mysteries to be solved.
For U of C astronomer Jeroen Stil, that includes why the chromosphere, which is above the surface of the sun, is hotter than the layer below.
“What we learn in astrophysics is that every layer further out in the sun is cooler than the layer below and that’s how heat trickles down to the surface. But somewhere in the chromosphere, that tendency is changing and changing very quickly,” said Stil.
“Why that happens is not really well understood.”
Although Calgary saw only 40 percent of the sun blocked by the moon, other parts of North America were in the path of totality.
The eclipse’s first port of call was on the west coast of Mexico.
The Calgarian’s Mark Sikstrom went to Mazatlan to capture it in all its glory.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Sikstrom said.
“The difference between a partial eclipse and a total eclipse is the difference between a kiss on the cheek and a big hug.”
Mike Foreman took this photo of the partial solar eclipse from Springbank, in Rocky View County Alberta, on April 8, 2024. (Submitted: Mike Foreman)
Calgarians who got that “kiss on the cheek” with Monday’s partial eclipse but are looking for a solar eclipse “big hug” will have to.
The next solar eclipse is in 2026.
It is called the “Fire and Ice” eclipse because it can only be seen over land from parts of northern Greenland, Iceland and parts of Spain.
For those who can wait a few decades, Calgary will be in the path of total solar eclipse in August 2044.
