A partial annular solar eclipse will soon dim the skies over Toronto, and it will be your last chance to see such an event for at least the next six years.

Locals might notice the sky a shade darker for a brief period around the noon hour on October 14, when the moon passes in front of the sun in one of the final eclipse-viewing opportunities Canadians will have this decade.

From 12 p.m. on Saturday, and lasting for about two hours, this annular solar eclipse will occur as the moon crosses over the sun at a point where it orbits a bit beyond its normal route around the Earth.

The eclipse will make for an impressive darkening of the midday skies for viewers out in Western Canada. However, it will be less dramatic here in the east, as viewing conditions diminish from an expected peak of 80 per cent coverage on the west coast down to 10 per cent on the east coast.

Here in Ontario, the eclipse is expected to range from 20 to 40 per cent coverage depending on location.

Even at peak conditions out west, Canadians will, at best, see a darkened sky with crescent-shaped shadows cast by the partially obscured sun.

It should go without saying that viewers SHOULD NOT view an eclipse with the naked eye, as it can cause severe retinal damage. Anyone looking to catch the event for themselves is recommended to wear eclipse glasses designed for such viewings, while welding goggles and specific types of camera lens filters will also get the job done in a pinch.

Saturday's partial solar eclipse will be the last such event visible to a large portion of Canadians until 2029.

However, Saturday's celestial event will prove just a taste of an even bigger and better eclipse that will be visible to Canadians next year.

An even rarer total eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024, and is expected to be visible in parts of Canada.

This event will mark the last total eclipse expected to be visible over large parts of the country for over 20 years, as the next total eclipse visible for much of Canada is not expected to occur until August 2044.

The last total eclipse visible in Canada occurred in 2017, when masses took to the streets to witness the skies over Toronto briefly darkening.