PARTIAL ECLIPSE ON AUG. 21
Where to watch it, how to stay safe
Heads up: For the first time since 2000, a partial solar eclipse will grace the skies over Montreal.
On Aug. 21, a total eclipse of the sun will occur over the United States, while Canada will experience a partial eclipse.
For sky-gazers in Montreal, 58 per cent of the sun will be covered, according to Kelly Lepo, coordinator for the McGill Space Institute and staff facilitator for AstroMcGill, which, among other things, seeks to increase public awareness of astronomy.
Here’s what you need to know about the eclipse in Montreal:
WHERE TO WATCH
Several groups in the city are organizing gatherings for people to watch safely.
Espace pour la vie, representing the Biodome, Insectarium, Botanical Gardens and Planetarium, is holding an eclipse-watching event at the planetarium. From 1 to 4 p.m. on Aug. 21, there will be free admission at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium at 4801 Pierre-deCoubertin Ave. Free eclipse glasses will be available.
AstroMcGill’s free eclipsewatching party has more than 1,000 people “going,” with 11,000 “interested” on Facebook. People will gather on McGill’s downtown campus, on the lower field near the Roddick Gates. Special telescopes and eclipse glasses will be available to watch safely, and there will be a live stream of the total eclipse. The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m.
Volunteers will be available to answer questions about the solar eclipse, she said.
For those who want to stay home, NASA will be streaming the full eclipse on its website.
HOW SOLAR ECLIPSES HAPPEN
About every 18 months, the moon, the sun and the Earth line up, and the moon and the sun appear the same size from our position on Earth. The moon blocks the sun from our perspective and casts a shadow on the Earth.
In Montreal, the partial eclipse will cast a wide shadow called the penumbra; for total eclipses, the shadow is smaller and called the umbra.
Although they happen somewhat frequently, eclipses are not often visible from places where humans can see them.
“People have been observing and predicting eclipses basically since we’ve had written records,” Lepo said.
HOW TO STAY SAFE
Lepo advises people never to stare at the sun without proper protection. “Even if you stare at the sun for a couple minutes, you can permanently damage your vision,” Lepo said.
To watch safely, she suggests using special eclipse glasses or creating a pinhole projector with a piece of cardboard.
For binocular or telescope users, Lepo suggests using a special sun filter.
“Don’t look at the sun through a telescope unless you know what you’re doing, or else you can easily burn your eye,” she said.
Trevor Kjorlien, organizer of skywatching group the Montréal Moongazers, said he once joined a friend who had purchased a pig ’s eye from a butcher, and put it in a telescope pointed toward the sun. In a matter of minutes, the eye was smoking.
Those planning to watch the eclipse should buy protective glasses before they sell out, Lepo said. Shoppers should be wary of fake eclipse glasses.
Still, Lepo and Kjorlien urge people to go out and see the eclipse. Kjorlien is planning to travel to Nashville to see the total eclipse. When is the next total eclipse? The last partial eclipse visible in Montreal was in 2000. In April 2024, a total solar eclipse will pass through Montreal, Lepo said.
“Eclipses are very (rarely seen), and so you should take a couple minutes out of your day to go see the eclipse, if you can,” she said.
Of course, it is all weather-permitting: If the sky is cloudy, eclipses aren’t visible at all.