The moon will temporarily block the sun in a rare solar eclipse on the afternoon of April 8, but if you want to witness it in person you’ll need proper eye protection.
From Ottawa, the eclipse will appear very close to total around 3:25 p.m. Communities to the south will see a total eclipse.
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) says there’s no safe time to look at the sun without protection, and doing so can temporarily or permanently damage your retinas.
The best way to avoid eye damage during the eclipse is to avoid looking at it, OPH said, but the curious should look for ISO Standard 12312-2:2015 solar filters with the manufacturer’s name and address on them.
You can shop around for the right eye protection, but here are a few places that will provide glasses.
- The Ottawa Public Library is giving away up to two pairs of eclipse glasses per household while supplies last starting Thursday, March 28.
- The aviation and nature museums are hosting ticketed viewing events on April 8. Glasses will be provided.
- The Osgoode Legion is hosting an eclipse viewing party and says it has 100 pairs of glasses.
- The University of Ottawa is giving out free eclipse glasses “to the university community” at three of its libraries while supplies last starting April 5.
Place the eclipse viewers over regular eyeglasses and never look at the sun through a telescope, binoculars or unfiltered camera, OPH said.
Don’t forget sunscreen while you’re outside — Ottawa’s forecast UV index was already high on Tuesday and moderate on Wednesday, for example.
Schools and other institutions have warned about distracted driving, including motorists stopping where they shouldn’t, when the skies darken during the afternoon commute.