‘PRETTY SPECTACULAR”: Hundreds gather at Assiniboine Park for glimpse at solar eclipse

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In totality, a watch party at Assiniboine Park for a rare celestial event had its moments.

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Hundreds gathered in the community gardens near The Leaf hoping to catch a glimpse of a partial solar eclipse despite cloudy skies that threatened to dampen the mood.

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Then, just as the moon blocked the largest portion of the sun, the clouds parted enough for Rhonda Stockburger to see something “pretty spectacular.”

“Seeing it move across makes me feel kind of small,” she said, recalling the 1979 total eclipse she watched as a teen at her high school in Alberta.

“I think we’re lucky we had the clouds part just enough right now, at the peak, because there were points where you couldn’t see anything.”

The Manitoba Museum hosted a viewing party in partnership with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (Winnipeg Centre) and the park, with telescopes set up for public viewing, and a livestream viewing opportunity that had some technical issues.

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The museum sold some 13,000 eclipse glasses it had since the 2023 annular eclipse. Some 25 pairs became available after a school trip backed out, but those were snapped up within three minutes, cash only.

The cloud cover made it difficult, but the glasses and safe telescopes were necessary to get the best look at the eclipse without damaging your eyes.

“I mean, eclipses are cool but having vision for the rest of your life is cooler,” quipped Planetarium astronomer Scott Young.

The 1979 total solar eclipse cemented Young’s career path.

“I saw this black hole in the sky surrounded by blue fire and the entire horizon around all covered in the colours of twilight and my head exploded. I became an astronomer right then at the age of nine, and that set my career,” Young recalled. “I would say that it’s probably the most beautiful natural sight that exists. It’s not surprising that people travel all over the world to see it.”

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And while a partial eclipse doesn’t hit the same and the next total eclipse won’t be viewable in these parts until August 2044, Young understands the appeal.

“I think it’s because people realize that the alignment that’s happening includes the sun, the moon, the Earth, and them. We’re all in a perfect line. And it reminds us that we’re part of that cosmos. We’re part of this. It’s not just starry wallpaper that’s out there.”

Cheryl Wiebe expected to be “underwhelmed” Tuesday after travelling with her family to Portland in 2017 to view a total eclipse, booking accommodation six months in advance, but was happy to just be there with her children.

“Hopefully the clouds will part at just the right time.”

Even if they hadn’t, Stockburger wasn’t expecting any regrets.

“I thought, ‘Well, whatever. The vibe here is quite something, too.’ “

Kking@postmedia.com

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