The upcoming solar eclipse is capturing the imagination of the Ottawa Valley’s young astronomy buffs, even if we won’t get the full experience.
That includes Landyn Dick, who has been engrossed in all things related to the stars through books, videos, and more for some time.
He explains that the Valley sits just outside the path of totality.
That means that our view of the moon covering the sun at around 2:00 p.m. on April 8th will not be perfect, but still fascinating.
Of course, it’s always safety first when taking part in a rare celestial event like a total solar eclipse. Landyn reminds fellow stargazers in the community of the most common and important piece of advice you should know when taking in the experience.
Our local school boards have moved their next P.A. Day up to April 8th as a precaution ahead of the eclipse, so many young astronomy fans like Landyn will have the day to enjoy what he says will likely be a longer-than-usual eclipse, totaling around 4 hours from beginning to end.
He suggests that people looking to take in the eclipse in its most complete form could consider a short road trip to Kingston or Montreal.
(written by Kasey Egan)