Aaron Harris, The Canadian Press

Aaron Harris, The Canadian Press ...during yesterday's eclipse.

Aaron Harris, The Canadian Press It was photographed in Toronto using a solar filter.

The sky gave Canadians a rare gift yesterday, offering prime views of the first Christmas Day solar eclipse visible from North America since 1628.

Skywatchers throughout the country took time away from their holiday celebrations to witness the eclipse.

Dr. Doug Hube, an astronomer in Edmonton, huddled with his wife on their roof in the pre-dawn darkness, waiting for the eclipsed sun to rise.

"It's a bit otherworldly," Dr. Hube said from home. The couple watched the eclipse through a piece of welder's glass to protect their eyes. "It's always very nice to see something happening before your very eyes in the sky."

When the sun slipped behind the clouds, Dr. Hube and his wife escaped the -20C weather and moved to their front room, where they watched the partially obscured sun make brief appearances throughout the morning.

In Toronto, spectators saw the eclipse under a dazzling blue sky.

"It happens only once in the lifetime of most people," said Sally Worthington, a visitor from England.

Ms. Worthington watched the moon move in front of the sun through her hotel room window, shading her eyes with one hand.

A solar eclipse takes place when a new moon slides between the sun and the Earth, casting a shadow over parts of the Earth.

Spectators in northern latitudes were offered the best views of the eclipse. In Canada, the eclipse reached its height at about 12:30 p.m. EST, when the moon covered about 50% of the sun in most parts of the country. It resembled a glowing cookie missing a bite.

Over Baffin Island, the eclipse was most acute -- 72% of the sun was blocked by the passing moon. But no one in Pond Inlet, on the island's northern tip, could watch it.

"The elders knew about it way ahead of time but we lost the sun back in November and we won't see it until February," said Elijah Nashook as he helped prepare a community Christmas feast. "It's about two whole months of eclipse."

People in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and the North Atlantic could also glimpse yesterday's eclipse, but from their perspectives, only a sliver of the sun seemed to disappear.

The last Christmas Day solar eclipse was in 1954, when the sun appeared partially obscured when viewed from Africa. Astronomers predict the next Dec. 25 solar eclipse will be in 2307.

Folklore and legend have surrounded the mysterious shadow throughout history, inciting fear, confusion and an expectation of miracles in various cultures. Astronomers in ancient China, for example, believed the sun was being eaten by a dragon. People tried to scare the beast away by beating drums and setting off firecrackers.

At least two solar eclipses occur each year, although there can be as many as five. The next solar eclipse is expected on June 21 over eastern South America and Africa.