A partial solar eclipse is happening this week and Canada is the best place to see it

A partial solar eclipse is happening this week.

Canada is the best place in the world to see the moon turn the sun into a thin crescent so here's what you need to know!

In the morning on Saturday, March 29, 2025, this partial solar eclipse will dazzle in the sky over parts of Canada.

A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the sun and Earth with the moon only partially covering the sun's disk.

That makes it look like the moon has taken a chunk out of the sun.

Eastern parts of Canada are the best places in the world to see this partial solar eclipse on March 29, including locations in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nunavut.

It will be visible in Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Fredericton, Halifax, Charlottetown, St. John's, Iqaluit, and more places.

While this partial solar eclipse can't be seen in Toronto, you can see it east of the city in Markham, Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa, Peterborough, Belleville, Kingston and Cornwall.

There are three stages of a partial solar eclipse:

• partial solar eclipse begins — the moon starts moving in front of the sun
• maximum eclipse — the eclipse reaches its maximum magnitude
• partial solar eclipse ends — the moon stops covering the sun

These stages happen at different times in each location.

On March 29, the maximum partial eclipse will happen at 7:05 a.m. in Pickering, 6:51 a.m. in Ottawa, 6:42 a.m. in Montreal, 6:32 a.m. in Quebec City, 7:17 a.m. in Halifax and 7:52 a.m. in St. John's.

You need special equipment like solar eclipse glasses to see a partial solar eclipse because it's not safe to view it without proper eye protection.

Also, you can project the eclipsed sun using a pinhole projector.

There won't be another solar eclipse visible in Canada until August 12, 2026.

This article's left-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.