Prince George stargazers will see about 70 per cent coverage when the moon eclipses the sun on Monday, Aug. 21.
“First contact is at about 9:23 a.m.,” Blair Stunder, president of the Prince George Astronomical Society, said.
That’s when the moon will start to cover the sun.
“Maximum eclipse will take place around 10:30 a.m. and then last contact should be between 11:20 to 11:30 a.m.,” he added. “The sky will darken and people will know that something is going on.”
A total eclipse will be experienced from Oregon to South Carolina in a diagonal path across the United States and that’s where some local members of the Prince George Astronomical Society will be heading to get a first-hand look.
“A few of us members are really into the serious viewing and we’re all heading stateside,” Stunder said. “It’s one of those things that when it gets this close you want to do it because normally you’d end up in the middle of the Pacific Ocean or in Siberia or the lower portion of South Africa.”
For this solar eclipse, Stunder will claim his spot south of Salem, Ore.
“I’ll be in that area and I’ll be right exactly on the eclipse centre line itself,” he said. “Now everybody crosses their fingers and hopes for clear skies and as a number of fires are burning down south we hope it doesn’t make things too bad.”
Stunder is already looking forward to viewing his next total solar eclipse in 2024.
“Mind you April 8, Mazatlan, sunglasses, bathing suit, Mai Tai, isn’t too bad either,” he laughed.
Stunder said he’s so interested in astronomy because he grew up in the era of man’s first step on the moon.
“I was about 10 years old and every kid at that age was into building the lunar lander and the lunar rover models so that probably started me down the math-sciences side of it and astronomy has always just been a hobby,” said Stunder, who works in mechanical engineering.
When he was about 11, he and a friend, who is also a member of the local astronomy society, found an old telescope.
“We fixed it up and straightened it out and swung it onto the moon and I’ve been hooked on space ever since,” he added.
Stunder cautions local residents not to look directly at the eclipse without proper equipment and that includes proper solar eclipse glasses or number 14 welding goggles as gazing at the eclipse could damage retinas and even result in blindness. Beware of cheap knock-offs, he added.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) approved solar-eclipse glasses must meet certain safety requirements, including no more than 0.00032 per cent of the sun’s light may be transmitted through the filters, which must be free of any defects, such as scratches, bubbles and dents and the glasses need to be big enough to cover both eyes.
“So it’s blocking 99.997 per cent of the light and that gives you an idea of how much is being blocked out to be able to look at the sun,” Stunder said.
If there is an event held here in Prince George for viewing the eclipse on the morning of Aug. 21 hosted by the Prince George Astronomical Society, it will be held at Pine Centre Mall, but that’s still up in the air as most of the members will be gone south to get a total view. People can be on the lookout for current information on the society’s website.
The local astronomical society will be hosting an open house next Friday and the talk will most likely be on the solar eclipse taking place on the following Monday.
