Winnipeggers get the chance to view the very rare partial solar eclipse

Kelvin Au is in awe of what he is looking at. For the first time in his life, he is seeing a partial solar eclipse.

“Being able to view it through a pair of eclipse glasses and even seeing that little bit of the eclipse of the sun we are getting, I am super pumped to see that,” said Au. 

Au says it’s super cool to be able to witness this solar event.

“So I love seeing how young children, or even young adults, they are asking these big questions and I hope that they follow the curiosity and maybe one day they’ll study astronomy and study science too.”

We had a heck of a view of the partial solar eclipse through our CityTV camera – and it caught the attention of a lot of people who wanted to see a peak of the rare event.

Danielle Pahud has seen a partial solar eclipse – but says it gets better every time she sees one.

“They’re so rare and they are a really shared experience. It’s something that everyone can experience at the same time, the same place and there is a sense of togetherness that we haven’t had in a really long time,” said Pahud, an instructor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manitoba.

“There’s something really special about an eclipse that brings people together.”

Hundreds more taking in the solar event outside The Leaf at Assiniboine Park. The Manitoba Museum and head astronomer Scott Young were showcasing their own livestream of the event.

Adriana Sedlack, the science communicator at the Manitoba Museum, says the eclipse is a big community event.

“It’s really such a great moment for yourself of the wonder, curiosity, feelings that you have in yourself. But it’s also a time where hundreds of people come together, and you actually get to feel that moment of wonder and awe and connect with each other. That just fuels your love not just for space and astronomy, but for other people as well.”