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April 8 is going to be a special day in New Brunswick, as a rare total solar eclipse darkens the daytime sky. While Sackville won’t be in the path of 100% totality for the eclipse, residents do have one distinct advantage for observing this astronomical event: Mount Allison’s Gemini Observatory.
CHMA stopped by the observatory last week to meet with associate professor Catherine Lovekin, and find out more about what to expect on April 8.
To call the upcoming eclipse a rare event is an understatement, says Lovekin. “The last total solar eclipse that was visible in New Brunswick was in about 900 AD,” says Lovekin. “It’s been more than 1000 years. So this is a really, really exciting thing.”
While the path of totality stretches across a wide swath of New Brunswick, Sackville sits just outside that path. “We’re going to get about a 99% total eclipse,” says Lovekin, “which means it’s still going to be amazing and really cool to see, but we’re not going to have that period when the moon is completely in front of the sun, and it blocks out enough of the sun’s light that you can see the corona.”
There might also be some obstacles to a clear view of the eclipse, says Lovekin. According to historical weather records, April 8 has been cloudy about 80% of the time in Sackville. “But you shouldn’t despair,” she says. “We’ll still have all of those other effects of it getting dark, the birds might start acting crazy. The last time there was a partial eclipse here at the observatory, we had moths coming out at midday. So we’ll still get that kind of thing.”
Lovekin says the observatory will be open during the eclipse, weather permitting, with both telescopes set up. “We have solar filters that we can use so that you can actually look through the telescope and see the sun,” says Lovekin. ”We’re going to have eclipse glasses available. We’re hoping to set up some of our portable telescopes to project the eclipse, so that you can look at it safely.”
“Safely” is the key word. Normally, humans can rely on basic instinct to avoid damaging their eyes with the sun’s powerful light. But during an eclipse, the partial blocking of that light plays tricks with our basic reactions. “Because the light is blocked,” says Lovekin, “it doesn’t trigger that pain reflex in your eyes, and so you don’t immediately look away. But it’s still bright enough to damage them… Even when it’s 99% covered, it can still damage your eyes.”
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