People in Newfoundland and Labrador had the chance to witness a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday afternoon, depending on the weather conditions. The partial eclipse started at 1:37 AT (2:07 NT) in Churchill Falls and gradually spread across the province. It was expected to end in St. John’s at 4:37 p.m. NT, with the moon covering about 50% of the sun in Newfoundland.

The Johnson Geo Centre in St. John’s hosted a watch party where spectators observed the moon passing in front of the sun with special safety viewing glasses. The event, held from 12 p.m. NT to 5 p.m., was organized in collaboration with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and STEM Girls.

Astronomer Hiding Neilson from Memorial University expressed excitement at watching the moon eclipse the sun through a telescope. He emphasized the uniqueness of solar eclipses in our solar system, highlighting the rarity of the partial eclipse occurring approximately every 50 years.

Andrea van Nostrand, the lead of education and interpretation at the Geo Centre, described the experience as “pretty spectacular” and mentioned the engaging activities for children to create solar viewing tools to safely observe the eclipse. Meanwhile, a total solar eclipse was set to be visible across Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a small part of Portugal.

Mother-daughter duo Jennifer Waye and Gabriela Fuentes Waye, inspired by a previous eclipse experience, traveled to Spain to witness the total solar eclipse. They appreciated the clear weather conditions in Spain for optimal eclipse viewing. In Canada, regions further north and east, like Alert, Nunavut, were expected to have a more complete view of the solar eclipse, with 94% sun coverage.

Overall, the event brought excitement and wonder to observers in Newfoundland and Labrador, showcasing the beauty of celestial phenomena.