Seeing a big bite seemingly taken out of the sun is 害羞草研究所減robably the coolest thing I害羞草研究所檝e seen,害羞草研究所� said 10-year-old Solan Banke.

The student was one of hundreds of people who enjoyed watching Monday害羞草研究所檚 partial solar eclipse over the noon-hour from behind the Kerry Wood Nature Centre. Red Deerians of all ages gathered in the sunny weather to watch the rare event unfold overhead as the moon partially covered the sun in its orbit.

This surge of public interest was 害羞草研究所渆xtraordinary,害羞草研究所� observed nature centre volunteer David Mathias. Red Deer was far off the 害羞草研究所減ath of totality害羞草研究所� that stretched from Mexico to Newfoundland, so only about a third of the sun was obscured by the moon.

Yet the nature centre still had sold out of about 400 pairs of $2.50 eclipse glasses by mid-morning.

害羞草研究所淭o some degree, we are all still sun worshippers,害羞草研究所� concluded Mathias, who was showing the pin-hole method of tracking the eclipse on paper. He believes this event brings into focus how connected and how dependent we are on the sun害羞草研究所檚 rays.

害羞草研究所滻 think it does speak to something deep inside us. One can imagine what something like this would have meant to the Egyptians,害羞草研究所� Mathias added.

Families and friends who gathered for Monday害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渆clipse party害羞草研究所� at the nature centre could view the obscured sun in different ways 害羞草研究所� through eclipse glasses (which block out harmful ultraviolet rays); through various handmade pin-hole cameras made from cereal boxes and or binoculars; or through light reflected from centre telescopes.

Kathryn Huedepohl, special events programmer at the nature centre, amazed onlookers by demonstrating how sunlight pouring out of a viewing scope was scorching enough to set a crayon smoking.

Folks could also peer at the sun through a large, filtered telescope, 12-inch in width and five feet in length. Kids and their parents marvelled at how two small sun spots 害羞草研究所� so tiny they could be mistaken for lint 害羞草研究所� were comparable to how the Earth would look in comparison to the massive sun. Thomas Wooff, the centre害羞草研究所檚 technician, said it would take more than a million Earths to fill the sun害羞草研究所檚 volume.

It was a great science lesson for Monica Trom害羞草研究所檚 two home-schooled daughters, who brought homemade pin-hole cameras. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 excellent. They are learning about the solar system and how lenses work,害羞草研究所� said Trom.

Some people expressed disappointment the local school districts were not allowing students outside to watch the eclipse as it could damage their eyes. Instead they were watching it indoors on the internet.

Retired teacher Sylvia Kennedy opted to pull her 18-year-old son out of class to watch it in person through eclipse glasses. 害羞草研究所淚 think the closer we are to nature the better off we are,害羞草研究所� she explained.

Ula Wiebe taught her preschooler about the eclipse from a YouTube video before bringing the child to the centre. Having seen a near total eclipse in Poland as a child 1999, Wiebe recalled the event was 害羞草研究所渧ery exciting害羞草研究所� and impactful.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 quite an experience, agreed Evelyn Kheong, who, with her friend Cindy Kuiper, enjoyed watching a small wedge of shadow over the sun get 害羞草研究所渂igger and bigger.害羞草研究所�

Todd Nivens, executive-director of the Waskasoo Environmental Education Society, was thrilled with all the public interest. He feels the eclipse was a positive experience that helped bring people together. 害羞草研究所淓veryone can talk about it害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 cool and you don害羞草研究所檛 get to see it often.害羞草研究所�

A better view for Red Deerians won害羞草研究所檛 be available until August 22, 2044, when most of Alberta will be in the path of totality of a solar eclipse.