Smoke won't be an issue for this morning’s solar eclipse

The smoke may be on its way back into Kelowna, but not until after Monday morning’s solar eclipse.

Smoke forecasts, which you can view here, call for smoke to move back into Kelowna from the south, but it’s not expected to be over the city until around noon.

For those hoping to see Monday’s highly-anticipated solar eclipse, that is perfect timing because the show is supposed to end at 11:42 a.m.

While many are heading down to Oregon to try and catch the moon covering 100% of the sun’s diameter, those watching the astronomical event in the Okanagan won’t be disappointed.

"For most of the Okanagan...we will see the sun start to be blocked out by the moon until eventually, the moon covers 90% of the sun's diameter," said Ken Tapping, an astronomer at the White Lake Observatory in Penticton. "So the sun will never be completely covered, and then the moon will move on, and the sun will be revealed as it was before."

For those in Kelowna, the eclipse will start around 9:13 a.m. and take just over an hour to get to peak coverage.

At about 10:25 a.m., the moon will be at its fullest, covering 90% of the sun’s surface, before the show starts to wind down towards that 11:42 a.m. end time.

Tapping says that B.C. is a great spot to watch the eclipse because of that 90% number and the further east you go in Canada, the less coverage you’ll see.

In Quebec and Nova Scotia, people will see the moon cover about 60% of the sun, while spectators in the Northwest Territories will only see 30% coverage.

For those who do want to watch the eclipse on Monday morning, Tapping warns about viewing it without the proper protection.

If you’re looking for some last-minute eye protection, he says that the pinhole technique does work.

"You take a piece of cardboard, a couple feet square, make a hole a few centimetres diameter in the middle and you put some cooking foil over that. Then you make a small pinhole in the cooking foil. The thing acts a pinhole camera," explained Tapping.

With many stories floating around about serious eye damage suffered during the last solar eclipse in 1979, it’s not a risk you want to take today.

For more information from Tapping about the eclipse and how to watch it properly, click this link.

Enjoy today’s solar eclipse, be safe while watching it and if you snag a great picture, make sure to tag #KelownaNow when you post it!