Depending on weather, a segment of Eastern Ontario will see a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024.
It is only from within the moon’s shadow that observers can experience totality. We in Eastern Ontario are fortunate to be very close to, or in, the path of that shadow.
The map below shows the local path of the shadow. Moving at the speed of sound from Mazatlan, Mexico, to Kingston (at 3:22pm), the moon’s shadow then graces Brockville (at 3:23pm EDT), Cornwall (at 3:25pm EDT), Lancaster (at 3:25pm), Plattsburg, NY at (3:25pm EDT), the southern half of Montreal (at 3:27pm EDT), and Sherbrooke, Quebec (at 3:29pm EDT), before crossing the Maritimes.
At Alexandria, north of the path, the eclipse remains partial, reaching 99.96% of totality. The shadow will just graze Green Valley. Observers there get to see the totally eclipsed sun for only a few seconds. Locations further south offer more time to view the sun’s atmosphere, the beautiful corona. Lancaster gets two minutes in the shadow. Cornwall 2m13s. Plattsburg and Sherbrooke see three and a half minutes of totality, because they are close to the center line of the path.
Totality occurs close to afternoon rush hour. Every OPP detachment that responds to problems on the 401, as well as the SQ in Quebec, not to mention every driver, ought to be aware of the (additional) potential for distracted driving on eclipse day. Arrive at your observing spot early and park.
The odds of clear skies in April are not in our favour. If you want to see the eclipse, you should be prepared to travel to the nearest clear sky on short notice. Check the latest satellite imagery at weather.gc.ca. That being said, there is some small compensation in witnessing a cloudy day become a cloudy night for two minutes before brightening again.
Observers should have a good solar filter to safely view the partial phases of the eclipse (before and after totality). Get them soon because the demand increases as the date approaches. Do NOT look at the sun without the filter, UNLESS the moon completely covers it. Type “eclipsmart” into an Amazon search for a commercial option.
Visit eclipse2024.org. Be sure to explore Xavier Jubier’s interactive map there. Also have a look at eclipsophile.com, for a great video of the shadow’s transit and more.
Harry Ewen
Alexandria
