An unforgettable total solar eclipse
People of all ages cast their eyes to the sky at Mill River Resort
MILL RIVER, P.E.I. – For many people, the April 8 total solar eclipse was a once-in-alifetime event.
Solar eclipses occur around the world approximately twice a year, but the event seen over P.E.I. on April 8 was the first total eclipse east of Quebec since 1972.
For Karen Hamblin and Richard Nevill, the event was too rare an opportunity to pass on a road trip.
The duo, close neighbours from Kemptville, N.S., drove to P.E.I. to witness the eclipse and brought Hamblin’s pinhole projector with them to view the event.
With the projector set up and eclipse glasses donned, Hamblin and Nevill were able to see the sun in such detail that they could identify individual sunspots on the sun’s surface during the eclipse.
The duo had not seen a total eclipse before and were delighted to witness the event in person.
“It was everything and more, we had no idea what to expect, and it was spectacular,” Hamblin told Saltwire after the event of totality.
Nancy Blum and Matthew Cairney, who are from Mahone Bay, N.S., were excited about the solar eclipse, photographing the sun through a solar card taped to their camera.
The April 8 eclipse was Cairney’s second and Blum’s first and the first total eclipse for both. If they had stayed in Mahone Bay, the duo would have been able to witness the partial eclipse and carefully
considered the differences in what they would be able to witness as the day approached.
“We were on the fence and then we decided, 'no it's not enough, let's go,'” Blum said.
TWICE IN A LIFETIME
The Mill River Resort hosted a solar eclipse viewing event throughout the afternoon on April 8. The resort was positioned perfectly to view the eclipse in its totality, with the moon passing directly in front of the sun above Prince County and northern Queens County.
Ron Perry, a member of the Athena Community Astronomy Club, was on hand to give a presentation on the mechanics of a solar eclipse, preparing attendees of all ages to safely observe it.
For the event, Perry donned a shirt with the phrase "twice in a lifetime," to mark the rarity of the April 8 total solar eclipse.
“You’ve got the sun, you’ve got the moon, and you have the earth, and they have to be perfectly aligned to make this work, it’s only when the sun, moon and earth are perfectly aligned that you’ll get a solar eclipse,” Perry said.
Perry described his previous experience of a total solar eclipse, detailing the sudden change in light, and the reaction of the wildlife in the area.
“It’s kind of eerie to watch, but really, really cool,” Perry said.
David Schult made the drive from Charlottetown to witness the eclipse with his daughter, ecstatic to be able to see a total solar eclipse in his own backyard.
Travelling the world for 32 years as an international teacher, Schult has had the opportunity to witness several solar eclipses around the world.
After learning about the April 8 eclipse, he told Saltwire it was an easy decision to travel to witness the totality of the eclipse.
“I’ve gotten lucky in the past, and this one just happened to be close, so I thought, 'Why not?'” Schult said.
The last eclipse he witnessed was in Nigeria, and he had had to take photographs on film, Schult said.
He was delighted to be able to photograph the sun and moon with his current camera, taking pictures constantly before and after the event of totality.
“The weather couldn’t have been better, it’s amazing to see,” Schult said, looking into his viewfinder.
During the event of totality, onlookers were also able to see the planets Jupiter and Venus above and below the eclipsed sun.
For the duration of the moon’s path across the sun, the two planets were visible to the naked eye as bright stars in the night sky and were a source of amazement for many at the event.
“I understand now why people travel from all over to see (eclipses),” Nevill said.
“It’s kind of eerie to watch, but really, really cool.” Ron Perry