BURGEO, Newfoundland – On the remote south west coast of Newfoundland, Eclipse Island is nestled in the harbour of Burgeo.
It was named by the legendary navigator and cartographer Capt. James Cook while he was moored there in 1766 and witnessed a total solar eclipse.
From those observations, and comparing them to other observations in other locations, he was able to develop longitude and longitudinal global navigation. Much of Cook’s cartography, depth soundings and marine charts for Newfoundland and the east coast of Canada are still in use today.
Monday April 8, 2024, saw the first return of a total eclipse to the island since Cook moored there. The full solar eclipse was viewable in an arc that spanned across North America from Mazatlan, Mexico to Burgeo.
