Make sure to make a note of April 8th, 2024 on your calendar so you don’t forget to see something spectacular.
A total eclipse of the sun will take place on that day over the skies of most of New Brunswick.
Chris Curwin is with Astronomy by The Bay, and explains how an eclipse works.
“The moon is 400 hundred times closer to us than the sun is and the moon is also 400 times smaller than the sun so they both appear the same size in the sky and on occasion the moon will actually eclipse the sun,” said Curwin.
The area of Saint John will receive a partial eclipse with 98.5 per cent of the sun being blocked. If you happen to be in Fredericton that day you are also in for a real treat.
“The eclipse start to finish will last around two hours and the totality will be 2.5 to 3 minutes,” Curwin said.
During that time the sky will be pitch black, songbirds will stop singing, the crickets will start chirping and the flowers will begin to close up, only to have everything reverse itself after the sun begins to re-emerge, Curwin explains.
You need special eclipse glasses to view the sun or a pinhole camera, as staring at the eclipse with your bare eyes can cause permanent damage.
