From the CBC archives: 'The great eclipse' of the sun, 1979

On this day 36 years ago, Winnipeggers witnessed a rare event in the sky: a total eclipse of the sun.

The "great eclipse" of Feb. 26, 1979, was captured on film by astronomy buffs both on the ground and in the sky.

"For many people, the excitement of Monday's big event will last for a long time," John Robertson said in this 24 Hours segment from March 2, 1979.

Robertson discussed the eclipse with Earl Barnholden, producer of the CBC program Solar Magic, and co-host Robert Ballantyne, who was also director of the Manitoba Planetarium.

Barnholden shared some bonus footage of the eclipse that was shot by CBC videographers aboard a Lear jet that the show had hired for the occasion.

Click on the video player to watch the full interview.