Clear skies expected as P.E.I. counts down the hours until total solar eclipse

The much-anticipated day has arrived for sky watchers, and a total solar eclipse will begin making its way across the western third of Prince Edward Island just before 3:30 p.m. AT. 

That's when the moon's position in the sky will start to block our view of the sun — leading to a short period of darkness when the rays that illuminate and heat our planet will be completely blocked for many locations on Earth. 

The astronomy folks at the University of Prince Edward Island have posted a chart showing the best watching times for various communities across the Island. Click here to check for your area.

"If you're not able to spend the entire two-hour-plus duration of the eclipse watching it," UPEI's physics department said on its website, "then the most interesting part will be around the time when the eclipse is at its maximum.

"That is when the most of the moon's disc is covered by the sun."

The physicists said more than 99 per cent of the sun would be obscured at that moment of totality, everywhere on the Island.

But if you miss this eclipse, it's not like missing a bus and just catching the next one.

After this event slips away from Prince Edward Island, at 5:44 p.m., the next total solar eclipse seen from here will not be until May 1, 2079 — 55 years from now.

Given that, several communities in Western P.E.I. have been planning eclipse-watching events. CBC News will set up at the one at the Mill River Resort in Woodstock.

But that event's 400 tickets released to the general public have long been snapped up.

Here's a list of a few other venues, some of which include music, refreshments and activities for children: 

Eclipse tourism is expected to bring hordes of people to Western P.E.I., including many of the 2,500 cruise ship passengers arriving on Port Charlottetown's first visit of the season, from MSC Poesia. 

Closer to the centre of the Island, the City of Charlottetown is also bracing for an influx of eclipse watchers.

In a news release Friday, the city said it would temporarily close the inside lane of the Victoria Park Roadway, between Terry Fox Drive and Victoria Park Driveway, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, to let the public to safely watch the eclipse.