Ottawa students getting excited about the April 8 eclipse
Students in Ottawa are learning about what to expect and how to watch the eclipse, from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC).
Grade six student Lamita Aslou is even more enthusiastic about the April 8 Eclipse.
“Like, I'm looking forward to seeing it in person,” she said. “Probably going to ask my parents to go to Kingston, so I can see it. It'll be our first time, and I'm really excited.”
She is amongst other students at Our Lady of Victory School attending a presentation Thursday.
“As part of my passion, I'm really into astronomy and part of the mandate of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is educational outreach. And this is part of what I do,” Dave Chisholm, president of the RASC, Ottawa centre said.
In the weeks leading up to the big day, he has been hosting presentations at various schools.
“Very, very positive reaction. I'm surprised how much they know already know about the eclipse, which is amazing,” he said.
Students are learning about what an eclipse is, what to expect, historic events and scientific discoveries -- and how to stay safe.
“The most important thing I learned today is that we should always be careful looking at the sun because it can blind us permanently,” said Grade six student Esther Saul.
She’s learning about the importance of using proper eclipse safety glasses.
“That if there's a scratch on the glasses that you should not be wearing them during the solar eclipse,” she said.
Students at the school will receive their very own pair of certified glasses, to take home.
“Well, it's so important because this is like a great event for the students to partake in. That shared experience really bonds them together. So, you want to make sure that above all, they're completely safe in doing so,” added Grade six teacher Eric Knight.
The presentation is giving students like Aslou a better understanding of what to expect on Monday.
“I didn't know that, like, an eclipse happened. I don't really know what it was, but now I know a lot about it, and I'm really happy,” she said.
CTV News Ottawa will have special live coverage of Monday's solar eclipse.
Watch CTVNewsOttawa.ca from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on April 8. You can also tune in to Newstalk 580 CFRA for continuing coverage.
CTV News will have coverage from Kingston, Brockville, Ottawa and the Niagara Region.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.