On Saturday, October 14, an annual solar eclipse will be occurring, and Airdrie residents may be able to catch a glimpse of it.

While we will not be able to see the full eclipse, beginning in the morning on Saturday, residents will be able to see a glimpse of the partial eclipse.

According to timeanddate.com, the eclipse will reach its peak or maximum at 10:26 a.m. and end at 11:45 a.m., lasting over two-and-half hours. Currently, the extended weather forecast into the weekend, particularly on Saturday is indicating clear skies. 

According to The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), this year's annual solar eclipse will cross North, Central, and South America and will be visible to millions of people in the Western Hemisphere. The annual solar eclipse has been dubbed the 'ring of fire' because of how the moon is positioned in reference to the Earth.

"Because the Moon is farther away from Earth, it appears smaller than the Sun and does not completely cover the star. This creates a “ring of fire” effect in the sky," NASA stated on its website.

However, NASA is also reminding those who wish to view the eclipse to remember safety.

"The Sun is never completely blocked by the Moon during an annular solar eclipse. Therefore, during an annular eclipse, it is never safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury," NASA underlined on its website.

And if you happen to miss the eclipse over the weekend, you will have to wait until April 2024 for another eclipse. 

"On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, United States, and Canada."

In response to Canada's Online News Act and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) removing access to local news from their platforms, DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM

au