Solar Eclipse, “an incredible view”: NASA'S Robert Lightfoot

​Solar Eclipse seen from Space: Courtesy of NASA


#SolarEclipse, #RoyalAstronomicalSocietyofCanada, #RobertLightfoot, #AlexYoung, #OntarioScienceCentre, #CNE, #HomesteadNationalMonument, #Canada, #U.S.

Toronto, Aug 22 (IBNS): A partial but impressive solar eclipse occurred In Canada, with best viewing sites being in Victoria, B.C. where the moon blocked 90 percent of the sun, and Vancouver, B.C. where the eclipse was 86 percent, Calgary, Alberta enjoyed 77 percent coverage and in Toronto, Ontario it was 70 percent, media reports said.

In a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun is reported to be fully obscured by the Moon.

According to Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC), a solar eclipse, as seen from the Earth is a type of eclipse that occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun.

Midway through the eclipse, approximately 4.4 million people watched its coverage on the television, the biggest livestream event in the space agency's history, reported National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

NASA's acting administrator, Robert Lightfoot enjoyed the moon's "first bites out of the sun" from a plane flying over the Oregon coast just half an hour before the occurrence of solar eclipse,  and declared it  "just an incredible view." 

Alex Young, NASA’s solar physicist, said last time that he had experienced such an amazing sight was during  his first flight to the moon, on Apollo 8 in 1968.

According to reports the next total eclipse will  be seen in parts of central Canada, the Maritimes and Newfoundland,  on April 8, 2024.

Astronomers reportedly consider a full solar eclipse the grandest of cosmic spectacles.

The Earth, moon and sun line up perfectly every one to three years, briefly turning day into night. But these
sights normally are in no man's land, like the vast Pacific or Earth's poles, official reports said.

In Vancouver, a large crowd gathered on the grass outside the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and were amazed when the eclipse reached its peak.

To celebrate this celestial event the Ontario Science Centre (an agency of the Government of Ontario), in collaboration with the RASC hosted a free viewing party.

Hundreds of people gathered at Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and waited in line for eclipse glasses as the moon began to creep ahead of the sun.

While figuring out the best ways to capture the eclipse, viewers also shared questions about the cosmos with friends and strangers.

At the peak of the eclipse, the sky dimmed slightly over the CNE. The maximum coverage in Toronto was 76 percent, but the remaining light still illuminated the lawn.

By 3:49 p.m, the solar eclipse was over.

Those who gathered outside the centre said the big moment was worth waiting for.

In celebration of the Total Solar Eclipse, Planetary CEO Bill Nye issued the following statement yesterday from Homestead National Monument, Beatrice, Nebraska, U.S. :

“While this total eclipse will pass right over the U.S., it really is an event for everyone on Earth. Whether in the path of totality or partial eclipse zones, millions of people across multiple continents will pause from our normal activities to look up at our Sun, Moon and sky.

Experiencing an eclipse changes the way we feel about space and how we are connected. I hope this moment reminds us all that we share a common origin among the stars, and that we are all citizens of the same planet.

I hope each of us takes a moment to consider the diligence of our ancestors, who came to understand our Solar System’s planets and
moons, who measured the fantastic distances between them, and came to know their orbital motions.  That we humble humans can understand all of this is remarkable. It fills me with optimism about our species and our future.

Today, in partnership with the U.S. National Park Service, The Planetary Society is expanding knowledge among new generations of eclipse explorers. As I often say: NASA is the best brand the United States has, and the National Park Service is the nation’s greatest outdoor classroom.

Let’s celebrate together and marvel at humankind’s ability to observe this phenomenon, and to understand the cosmos and our place within it.”

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

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