Partial Eclipse of the Sun -  August 12, 2026 Mariners Park

📝 Cheryl Anderson

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) welcomed about thirty kids and parents to Mariners Park on Wednesday August 12 to view the partial eclipse of the sun. A slide show and Dark Sky presentation were available for viewing in the Arrow Room of the Mariners Museum. A group of bicyclers arrived, joined by a youth group from the ROC led by SSJI’s Wild Thing director Cheryl Chapman. Neighbours from close by strolled in, incidental visitors were attracted by the group and the flying OPEN flag.

📸 Cheryl Anderson         

📸 John Sanders

Members of RASC set up three viewing points so that everyone could get a chance to see the moon as it moved between the earth and the sun and cast its shadow against the sun’s visible surface. We could also see sunspots that showed as black dots on the sun’s “face.”

From NASA: “Occasionally, dark spots freckle the face of the Sun. These are sunspots, cooler regions on the Sun caused by a concentration of magnetic field lines. Sunspots are the visible component of active regions, areas of intense and complex magnetic fields on the Sun that are the source of solar eruptions. Sunspots can be seen on the Sun’s photosphere, or visible surface of the Sun.”

There were lots of questions from the people gathered. RASC members were happy to share their knowledge and remind everyone to stay up late to view the Perseid Meteor Showers the same night

📸 Partial Solar Eclipse 2026 - David Billo

📸 John Sanders

📸 Gurpreet Patheja