File

Eclipses

By physical definition, a solar eclipse cannot occur at night because it requires the Sun to be above the horizon so that the Moon can block its light relative to an observer on Earth. If you were witnessing a dramatic celestial alignment overhead in the night sky over Merritt, British Columbia, it was actually a lunar eclipse—where the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting a deep reddish shadow across the lunar surface. While daytime observers in the Nicola Valley most recently caught a minor partial solar eclipse on the morning of August 12, 2026, any nocturnal eclipse seen locally is always lunar in nature.
For a fascinating look into how visual shadows behave during solar alignments, check out The LAST Eclipse in History, which explains the unique twilight lighting conditions caused by moon shadows.

By the By

British Columbia has moved on to a permanent daylight saving time, meaning November 1st will not be a time change. We will stay on this particular Pacific time for one more time change on March 8th 2027 and that’ll be it.