As New Brunswickers prepare to witness the solar eclipse, CBC News will have on the ground coverage from different parts of the province along the eclipse's path of totality.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun. And when the moon completely covers the sun, it is considered a total solar eclipse.

Fredericton, Woodstock, Miramichi and Carleton North are among the areas of New Brunswick on the path of totality.

Some other regions, including Moncton, will witness a deep partial eclipse with nearly total coverage of the sun.

Closer to home, 'full circle'

In 2017, Mary King of Miramichi travelled more than 4,000 kilometres to view the total solar eclipse in Idaho. This time around, she's just going to take a few steps into the backyard for the same experience.

And there will be more family around too.

"It's bringing the story full circle," she said.

King said seeing a total eclipse gave her a feeling of genuine awe. She said people lucky enough to spend a few minutes in the moon's shadow should take a moment to fully experience it.

"I'm going to set a timer on my phone and just make sure I take a minute for myself. Just to look around and breathe it, and feel it on your skin and feel it in your bones," she said.

 Mary King of Miramichi is wearing the T-shirt she bought in Idaho to commemorate seeing the total eclipse in 2017. This time around, she's going to be experiencing the same event from the comfort of her parents' farm. (Khalil Akhtar/CBC)

King is a member of the Royal Astronomical Society. She said many people have asked her what the 2017 eclipse was like, and she struggles to put it into words.

"It's kind of a green light. Sometimes you feel like you're in the Matrix and other times you feel like this is a totally unique experience that they haven't made a movie on yet," she said.

She said she's thankful for all the people who worked to prepare Miramichi to host visitors who want that experience.

"I'm really proud of my city."

Lucky weather

Against the odds, Monday's weather is expected to be mostly clear and eclipse-viewing friendly.

CBC meteorologist Ryan Snodden said the Maritimes will be one of the best places in North America to view the solar eclipse, with warm temperatures and mostly clear skies.

Overall, temperatures are expected to be mild, ranging from 10 C to 14 C in most of New Brunswick, cooler closer to the shore.

Some cloud will move southward into the province this afternoon, but Snodden said its impact will likely be minimal.

"It's certainly not going to be overcast, it's certainly not going to be mostly cloudy."

The winds will be northwest, 20 km/h gusting to 40 km/h, making temperatures feel a little bit cooler. 

Capturing the event from up in the air

Brothers David and Lawson Hunter, and a team of volunteers, have an ingenious way of capturing the once-in-a-lifetime total eclipse. In Florenceville, at around 3 p.m., they plan to launch a balloon with a telescope to view the eclipse from above the clouds.

 

A balloon with a view: What to expect with today’s balloon launch

Duration 7:05