A partial solar eclipse drew a small crowd of skywatchers to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum Wednesday. “Today, about 26 per cent of the sun is covered by the moon, versus it was about 96 per cent back in 2024,” said Dave Chisholm with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. “It’s absolutely amazing and I mean, these are rare events.” Ottawa was not in the path of totality so did not experience complete darkness like millions did in Spain and other parts of the world. For those with specialized glasses or looking through a telescope, the view in Ottawa made it look like a bite had been taken out of the sun as the moon partially blocked it. “Since he’s very intrigued [by] space, we thought this would be an awesome thing to come and show him,” said Dominika Gingras, who brought her young son. The next total solar eclipse in Canada won’t be until August 2044. It’s a double feature for sky gazers on Wednesday, as the Perseid meteor shower is set to reach its peak over the next few days with up to 100 shooting stars an hour possible. “Tonight, it’s going to be cloudy, but the Perseid meteor showers go for a long range. They started in July. They finish the 23rd of August. So, if you can’t see them tonight, go out tomorrow night, Friday night,” Chisholm said. “Friday night we have our star party out at the Diefenbunker.”
