One Winnipeg couple is gearing up to see their 30th solar eclipse this month. To get the best view possible, they’re packing up and heading to Wyoming.
“I like the scenery around the Teton mountains,” Jay Anderson told CTV Winnipeg.
But it’s not Wyoming’s rugged scenery that’s sold out hotels in the state this month. On August 21st, sky watchers across a large swath of the United States will be treated to a total solar eclipse when the moon passes in front of the sun. Only a partial solar eclipse will be visible in Canada.
“The sun is about 400 times larger than the moon in our sky,” Dana Kowalsky, a science educator at the Manitoba Museum, explained. “But the moon is 400 times closer to us, so it essentially covers the sun perfectly.”
And when it does, the Andersons say it is truly a sight to behold.
“It’s so beautiful,” Judy Anderson said. “The light gets silvery and kind of liquid… Honestly, there is nothing like it!”
The last solar eclipse in the United States took place in 1979. But other countries have experienced the celestial phenomenon in recent years, including Norway in 2015, Egypt in 2006 and Madagascar in 2001. The Andersons were there for them all -- and many, many more.
"This one coming up will be our 30th eclipse,” Jay said. “So, 29 of them outside of Winnipeg!"
For Jay, a former meteorologist with Environment Canada, there’s something profound about the experience.
"When you see the eclipse, and you watch the moon gradually moving till its right in front of the sun, you suddenly feel connected with the solar system,” he said.
"The observations are just so fascinating,” Judy added. “And I try to soak as much in, and then I actually try and draw it afterwards so I remember what I've seen."
The heavenly phenomenon might only last for a few minutes, the Andersons said, but it will be remembered for a lifetime by anyone lucky enough to see it.
With a report from CTV Winnipeg’s Jon Hendricks
