As the moon blocked out some of the sun Monday afternoon, Calgarians across the city looked up at the sky, their eyes covered by protective goggles.
The weather conditions for the solar eclipse turned out to be bluebird; clear and sunny.
And people took a break from their usual Monday schedules for a few hours to gather, pause, and take in the view above them.
At least one young audience member at the Telus Spark Science Center was impressed by what he saw.
“This is science, real science,” said Nabil Khadem, who was five (and sure enough he said he was a year and a half old).
“I’m going to NASA to build rockets, so I’ll look into some science first.”
People gathered outside the Telus Spark Science Center to watch the solar eclipse in Calgary. (Helen Pike/CBC)
Others were experiencing their first solar eclipse a little later.
“[One] The reason we think this is amazing is because we’ve never done this before and we won’t be around for the next one because we’re so old, we’re in our 70s,” said Helen Bugno, who was there with her husband, Don Dibenedetto.
Dibenedetto said he was happy to see such a large turnout at the event, estimated at hundreds of people, that the parking lot was so full he parked half a mile away.
Zack Anderson, Telus Spark’s director of science engagement, said the crowds are indicative of how many people are passionate about science.
Solar eclipses occur two to five times a year, but mostly in places with low concentrations of people, Anderson said.
“It’s a really special day… People have pulled their kids out of school to come and check it out and see the science in real life, not just on the screen, which is nice.”
Justin Scott is one of these people. He let his 8-year-old son, Calder, leave school to see the eclipse.
“I think it’s such a great experience. We love science, we love astronomy, and the opportunity to share that experience with my kids is just so much fun for me.”
Nabil Khadem looked through solar telescopes to get a magnified view of the partial eclipse. (Helen Pike/CBC)
For others, the day was business as usual.
Ariella Muriel-Pagart retired from her welding career and homeschooled her children.
“This is a school day for us, this is an event we specifically plan,” Muriel-Pagart said.
He came armed with old welding helmets, including kid-friendly ones that offered the same protection against sunlight as eclipse goggles. He said he was approached by many people who wanted to try the helmets.
“This is so cool,” Muriel-Pagart said. “I love seeing the excitement of people learning and engaging with the world around them because we need more of that.”
More people joined the festivities at a free eclipse viewing event hosted by the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory on the University of Calgary campus.
Electrical engineering student Marcus Gee said he wanted to remember the day.
“It’s a great thing to see… It’s the first time in a long time that we’re having a community event where a lot of people come and enjoy the weather, enjoy the cool science stuff.”
Matt Taylor, assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Calgary, said he was excited to see the crowd taking it all in.
“This is a great turnout; it shows that when given the chance to see science in action, people really want to experience it and see it with their own eyes,” Taylor said.
“This is one of the most accessible sciences, all you have to do is look up and you can experience astronomy.”
Crowds found patches of grass on the University of Calgary campus to sit and watch the solar eclipse. (Mike Symington/CBC)
Astronomer and regular CBC contributor Don Hladiuk went the way of totality south of the border. It captured the sun going completely dark in Junction, Texas, about 200 kilometers west of San Antonio.
He said the weather was clear in the morning, but some clouds gathered during the total eclipse.
“So let’s say we had partial success. But we definitely saw the corona, the solar atmosphere, the bright red bulges, but it didn’t last as long as we wanted.”
Still, he said the day will be unforgettable, especially considering that his future son-in-law proposed to his daughter, who arrived in the Texas town with him and his wife.
“At the end of the whole there is something called a diamond ring,” Hladiuk said. “Well, guess what? After the solar eclipse, Christopher presented our daughter with a diamond ring. So today was a very special day for our family.”
He said solar eclipses are a lasting way to bring people together and inspire young and old.
“It’s just about looking at the sky and it’s something we can relate to. I always like to tell people we’re all made of stars.”
Back at Telus Spark, Helen Bugno said this would be more than just the eclipse she would remember from that day.
“[It’s] the sunshine, the spirit of the people here, the science… the sense of community.”