OTTAWA, Apr 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – Millions of watchers in Canada turned skyward, as a total solar eclipse moved across Canada, yesterday.
The path of totality in Canada included parts of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Along the stretch the moon blocked the sunlight entirely.
Canada’s Niagara Region, one of the best places in the world to take in the sight, declared a state of emergency, as it was preparing for the influx of visitors for this “once-in-a-lifetime event.”
According to Statistics Canada, one in six people, or about 6.1 million people, live in the country’s path of totality for yesterday’s eclipse, based on 2021, census data.
Canadian astronaut, David Saint-Jacques, said, it was one of the rare times that people had a “direct connection with what’s going on in space.”
“It’s a very direct reminder of the reality of the cosmic ballet, if you want, that’s constantly going on,” Saint-Jacques was quoted as saying by CTV News.
While the next total solar eclipse in Canada is expected to pass through western provinces in 20 years, the phenomenon only happens in any given location roughly once every 360 years by some estimates.– NNN-XINHUA
