N.L. is getting a front-row seat to the rare total solar eclipse. Here's everything you need to know

It's a once in a blue moon occurrence, one that's been described as having the power to stop animals in their tracks and lead people to spiritual revelations a total solar eclipse.

"You get goosebumps. The hairs come up on the back of your head, some people cry their hearts out," said Garry Dymond of the St. John's chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society.

On April 8, the moon will completely cover the face of the sun in a total solar eclipse. It will pass over Mexico, the United States and Canada, in one of nature's rarest spectacles and this year, many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will have a front-row seat.

CBC N.L. asked experts where people can get the best views in the province.

Why is this such a big deal?

The last total solar eclipse in Newfoundland and Labrador happened in 1970, and the next one won't be for another 50 years, said Hilding Neilson, an assistant professor in the department of physics and physical oceanography at Memorial University.

So if you miss this one, you'll have to wait until 2079 to see the next eclipse in Newfoundland and Labrador.

WATCH | Hear about how people in N.L. are marking the eclipse:

The solar eclipse will pass straight over Newfoundland, and the party is in Gander

6 months ago

Duration 2:04

When the sun, moon and Earth line up on April 8, Hilding Neilson will be outside looking up even if its pouring rain. Neilson is hosting the Solar Eclipse Soiree in Gander, a four-day festival celebrating the science, culture and fun of this stellar moment.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event to see the moon completely cover the sun, have dark sky, maybe see corona," said Neilson. "And if it's clear enough, you might even see a comet."

Where are the best places to see the eclipse?

Not all parts of the province will see a total solar eclipse, says Terrence Tricco, a computational astrophysicist at Memorial University.

The eclipse starts from southwest Port aux Basques and crosses the island to Gander, hitting Clarenville and Bonavista. These areas are all within the "path of totality," which is where observers can see the moon entirely cover the sun.

When there's a solar eclipse in the path of totality, almost all of the sun is blocked by the moon and people will be able to see a solar corona or crown, says Hilding, which is very hot gas that creates a ring of glowing white light surrounding the eclipsed sun.

"This is kind of like two minutes of pure nighttime in the middle of the day," said Hilding.

Outside the path of totality, Tricco says people will see a deep partial eclipse. St. John's, for instance, will get a 99.2 per cent eclipse. While that seems high, he says, the missing one per cent can make or break the eclipse experience.

"There's just a lot of really interesting phenomena that happens with a total eclipse we won't necessarily see with a very deep partial eclipse," he said, such as the sky becoming completely dark.

The partial eclipse will begin just after 3 p.m. NT the moon will start sliding in front of the sun for about an hour, and after three to five minutes at its peak eclipse, it will start receding from the sun for about another hour.

For those in the path of totality, a full solar eclipse will last about three to four minutes, says Hilding, and that'll happen around 5:10 p.m. NT.

Can I stare at it?

Not without the proper eyewear, say Tricco and Hilding.

To look at a solar eclipse, they advise people purchase eclipse glasses or eclipse filters that areISO-certified. If they're crafty, people can alsomake pinhole cameras.

Even if it's foggy or cloudy, a total solar eclipse will still cause the sky to get as dark as nighttime during the three-to-four-minute window when the moon covers the sun, says Tricco. However, clouds can obscure the view of the eclipse depending on where people are.

Are people excited to see the eclipse?

Yes.

"I'm at a 10, I'm at a 10, yes, I can't wait," said Dymond. "I'm willing to sacrifice one of my telescopes to the cloud gods to make sure I got clear skies. That's how excited I am."

Dymond, who has seen four solar eclipses, describes the occurrence as one of the most phenomenal and breathtaking experiences in the world a total eclipse of the sun, and the heart.

"Everybody went silent and then everybody broke out in emotions," he said. "Some people cried their hearts off the whole two minutes. Other people had spiritual experiences, other people were just in awe.

"The cows sit down. The bees, if they can't make it back to their hive, fall to the ground and rest and wait because they need the sun to navigate."

Lora Swyers, manager of the Harbour Quarters Inn, a family business in Bonavista, says the inn is openinga month early this year to accommodate guests who are coming to the town from across North America to see the solar eclipse.

She says an astrophysicist from the United States inquired about a stay back in 2019 and wanted to book the full hotel, which has 12 rooms, for around three to four nights during the eclipse.

"I thought he was a little bit crazy to be booking so far in advance for something I didn't even hear of," said Swyers.

"Our computer system does not even go ahead five years. It's only one. So I had to, like, write his information down on a piece of paper and stick it on the wall just so that I'd see it."

A solar eclipse soiree is happening in Gander from April 5 to April 8, and the Johnson Geo Centre in St. John's is hosting a block party and solar eclipse viewing on April 8.

No matter where you are in the province, says Dymond, it's a show you can't miss.

"It is a wonderful experience and it's hard to explain. You got to enjoy it yourself," he said.

"Just from looking outside in, I mean, you can look at a picture, you can look at a movie. But being under that dome is unbelievable."

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