Despite a gloomy start to the day, and a pessimistic forecast from Environment Canada, the skies over Victoria, British Columbia, remained mostly clear for the October 23 partial eclipse of the Sun. It was only after mid-eclipse that thin clouds occasionally obscured the solar disc. But as things began to wind down, the wind picked up, the sky darkened and rain began to fall.

Giant sunspot AR2192 added interest and provided a handy reference point for monitoring the Moon’s progress as it advanced across the solar disc. Indeed the sunspot made for a more photogenic event than most partials. At mid-eclipse, through eclipse glasses, the Sun looked liked a child’s drawing of a big, fat crescent Moon, or a cosmic smile. Appropriate, considering the ever-temperamental weather gods seemed to smile on us here.