As skywatchers in parts of Canada's North prepare to wake up very early Friday to watch the total eclipse of the sun, health officials in Nunavut are warning people not to stare at the rare solar spectacle.

At around 5:21 a.m. ET Friday, the moon will pass completely in front of the sun, giving people in parts of Nunavut's High Arctic — like Alert and Grise Fiord — a chance to see a total solar eclipse.

Those in Cambridge Bay and Resolute Bay will see a 99 per cent eclipse, while other communities in the territory will experience a partial eclipse.

Those in some High Arctic communities in the Northwest Territories, such as Sachs Harbour, can see just over 89 per cent of the sun covered by the moon.

Of course, the chances of northerners seeing the solar eclipse will depend on whether the skies are clear Friday morning.

And if the skies do co-operate, the Nunavut Health Department wants people to take precautions to avoid looking at the eclipse.

"It can cause permanent damage to the back of your eye, the retina, which is like a movie screen that the lens of your eye focuses the picture on," said Peter Workman, an environmental health consultant with the department.

"Any length of time that you look at the sun directly without protection, you can cause damage to your eyes."

Earlier in July, astronomers also warned northerners against looking directly at the solar eclipse. They recommend using heavy-duty eye protection such as a No. 14 welder's filter.

An alternative that is cheaper and more readily available, they said, is to create a simple pinhole viewer with a piece of cardboard and a piece of white paper or card, then watching the eclipse with one's back turned to the sun.

Eclipse chasers flocking to Cambridge Bay

Eclipse enthusiasts from across Canada, the U.S. and as far as Germany and Japan have flocked to Cambridge Bay in advance of the eclipse.

Vicky Aitaok, manager of the Arctic Coast Visitors Centre in Cambridge Bay, said the visitors are sharing their knowledge with the community.

"They're really contributing back to the community," Aitaok told CBC News Thursday.

"It's so exciting to have their experience and their knowledge, that they are willing to share with us."

All of Cambridge Bay's hotel rooms are booked, and Aitaok said some residents in the hamlet of 1,500 are billeting visitors.

Eclipse enthusiasts have also travelled to Grise Fiord and Devon Island for the occasion.

Some have even chartered airplanes to fly near the North Pole to see the eclipse for themselves. As well, a cruise ship in Lancaster Sound has positioned itself for the best view.

The last time Canadians could see a total eclipse of the sun was in 1979, although people in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut witnessed a partial eclipse in 2003.