Solar Eclipse August 21st 2017

[TorontoDrew]

People were crowding the streets today to catch the solar eclipse. Only about 70% coverage in Toronto and Montreal but Vancouver and Victoria had a pretty good display earlier.

[IMG]20170821_142230[1] by Andrew Moore, on Flickr[/IMG]

People crowding the sidewalks today in T.O.

If you missed it don't fret. In 2024 there will be one right on the doorstep of most Eastern Canadian cities where the drive to see the path of totality will only be an hour or 2 away. Also where as this was a fairly fast moving eclipse along the path of only a few minutes darkness the next eclipse will last almost twice as long.

source: https://herrett.csi.edu April 08 2024



Did anybody get and cool shots today in B.C or elsewhere?

[TownGuy]

I thought it was a dud here to be honest. If it wasn't hyped up so much I wouldn't have even noticed anything happening. I read for instance Toronto was closing public pools during the peak of the eclipse so I was expecting a little darkness. A cloudy day is darker than anything the eclipse provided.

The one in 2024 looks pretty legit for this location.

[Taeolas]

I'm in Fredericton where we had about 50% coverage. A coworker brought out a telescope and the appropriate filters and we had a grand ol' time peeking up at the sun as it dimmed.

It didn't get all that dark, but it was noticeably dark for midafternoon; a bit dimmer than an overcast day.

2024 is going to be great (other than taking place in early April). Fredericton is right in the main path of Totality so we should have a great view, weather permitting.

[MonctonRad]

Actually, Freddy will be on the edge of the path of totality, just like Moncton (see above map).

It's funny - I checked out an interactive eclipse site about the 2024 event, and downtown Moncton will be 99% totality at the peak of the event, while the casino on the NW edge of the city will be 100%. It's that close.

Regardless, the closer you are to the center of the track, the longer totality will last, so when 2024 rolls around, I intend to drive north to Bouctouche to take it all in.

You're from Woodstock aren't you Taeolas? You should go back home to observe things.

[manny_santos]

I watched the eclipse from a balcony on one of the upper floors of my office building in Downtown Toronto.

There was a kind of "dull" light over the city at the height of the eclipse. There seemed to be a reduced light shining on the CN Tower, it was still bright but it was like there was a lampshade over the sun. It wasn't as dark as I was expecting though, although I suppose it would have been much darker in certain parts of the United States. Adding to the effect was the cirrus cloud cover.

I was alive for the last major solar eclipse in 1994, although my school didn't let us go outside during the eclipse hours. So this was the first eclipse I have actually seen. Though unlike Donald Trump, I didn't actually look at it.

[MonctonRad]

I remember this eclipse from 1972 very well:



The only populated parts of North America to experience totality were eastern Gaspe, the Acadian Peninsula, PEI and northern NS. I watched it from my older brother's back yard in Charlottetown. I was 14 years old. The air temperature cooled quite noticeably during totality, and for some reason it became very still. There was no wind at all. All the birds began flocking to their roosts for the "night". It was spooky.

This was the total eclipse featured in Carly Simon's "You're so Vain", when she had to "go to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun"

• Video Link

I feel privileged to be able to experience another total eclipse in 2024. I only had to wait 52 years.

[Klazu]

Very anticlimatic even in Vancouver. The weather was perfect, but the whole media hype around this reminded me of Super Moon.

[Coldrsx]

On the beach today in Port Elgin, it dropped about 5-7C for 2hrs.

[speedog]

Ha, I got you all beat today because I was in Okotoks and I had something to do there. But for 80-81% coverage here it certainly wasn't noticeable. Barely a bit dimmer but no more so than a bad hazy forest fire smoke day.

[mcminsen]

I went out to Kits Beach in Vancouver to see what I could of the solar eclipse. I used my binoculars to project an image of the sun onto some paper. At the peak we saw about 88% coverage of the sun. It got noticeably chilly for a while but I didn't see too much difference in the overall light of day. The second pic below was taken about 35 minutes before the peak, the third pic was at the peak and the fourth pic was about 25 minutes after the peak. As I was leaving the area (about 30 minutes after the peak) I noticed the sunspots on the sidewalk shining through the leaves of the trees were little crescents instead of round spots (last pic).

Sitting nearby was an elderly lady in a wheelchair and her caregiver was going on and on about the eclipse but they didn't have any viewing devices so the old lady didn't seem to understand what was going on. I think she may have had a bit of dementia. So, at the peak I went over and showed her my little projection on the paper and when she saw the crescent her whole face lit up and she said "Oh, I can see it now! That's wonderful!". That made my day.




Kits Beach, Vancouver, Aug.21 '17, my pics



35 minutes before peak:
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peak:
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25 minutes after peak:
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[rousseau]

We had special glasses for it, but it seemed kind of anti-climactic. I mean, it was neat and all, but kind of a let-down. And I hardly noticed much lessening in the daylight, though my wife and a friend insisted that it was indeed less bright out around the peak.

I think your photo above with crescents shining through the leaves is the coolest thing I've seen associated with the eclipse.

[Nicko999]

The best photo I got...

[1overcosc]

A solar eclipse is barely noticeable unless it's total. Even at 90% coverage, there isn't darkness. The sun is just that bright.

At 65% (which is what Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal would have experienced) it probably would have appeared to be a little later in the day than it actually was, but if you weren't aware the eclipse you was happening, you probably wouldn't have noticed.

The one in 2024 will be really interesting because of the way major cities in Eastern Canada will be right on the edge of totality, with some parts of major metros in total darkness and others will not be.

Half of Montreal will get a total eclipse in 2024. Downtown Montreal and the south shore will get it. But the eastern parts of the Island and Laval will not.

Hamilton and Burlington will have a total eclipse but Oakville and Toronto will not.

Kingston, Brockville, and Cornwall will have a total eclipse but Ottawa will not.

Leamington will have a total eclipse but Windsor will not.

Here's it mapped out--the darker shade in these maps indicate areas within the path of totality for 2024.

[lio45]

Yeah, you really need totality for it to be a special experience.

2024, wow, looks like I won't have to move much from downtown Sherbrooke... I might head to the southern suburbs to be sure to be right in the middle of the path of totality.

I'm noting Southern Illinois will have been right on the paths of totality for both eclipses, the only place to claim that of course (the trajectories are intersecting only once).

[lio45]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

source: https://herrett.csi.edu April 08 2024

I'm guessing St. John's is also in the path of totality, but whoever made that map has no respect for Newfies.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by lio45

I'm guessing St. John's is also in the path of totality, but whoever made that map has no respect for Newfies.

What is the probability you'll be able to see the sun on April 8, 2024 in Newfoundland?

Anyway, it was apparently 86% here and it was pretty noticeable. It wasn't anything near nighttime out but it got a lot darker and, as others have mentioned, it felt a lot cooler with the reduced sunlight. I kind of regret not going down to Oregon.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by someone123

What is the probability you'll be able to see the sun on April 8, 2024 in Newfoundland?

Good point

I kind of regret not going down to Oregon.

I've read reports from people who experienced it and I would likely have done it for that distance (if I had been you). Even 95% really sucks compared to totality. The only real "special" experience is to be squarely within the path of totality.

I would have liked to force my next trip to Florida to fit into this timing so I could have been in SC at the right time but it didn't work. However, all things considered, since I intend to be alive and well in 2024, it's not such a loss.

For you, though... Oregon was your best chance, unless by then you will have fled Vancouver to move back to the Maritimes.

[Nicko999]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

A solar eclipse is barely noticeable unless it's total. Even at 90% coverage, there isn't darkness. The sun is just that bright.

At 65% (which is what Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal would have experienced) it probably would have appeared to be a little later in the day than it actually was, but if you weren't aware the eclipse you was happening, you probably wouldn't have noticed.

The one in 2024 will be really interesting because of the way major cities in Eastern Canada will be right on the edge of totality, with some parts of major metros in total darkness and others will not be.

Half of Montreal will get a total eclipse in 2024. Downtown Montreal and the south shore will get it. But the eastern parts of the Island and Laval will not.

Hamilton and Burlington will have a total eclipse but Oakville and Toronto will not.

Kingston, Brockville, and Cornwall will have a total eclipse but Ottawa will not.

Leamington will have a total eclipse but Windsor will not.

Here's it mapped out--the darker shade in these maps indicate areas within the path of totality for 2024.

And the 2024 eclipse will last much longer than the one yesterday (twice as long in fact).

[someone123]

Originally Posted by lio45

For you, though... Oregon was your best chance, unless by then you will have fled Vancouver to move back to the Maritimes.

I travel around a fair amount. I'll be flying back across the country in a few weeks. I think I'm going to plan to watch the next eclipse from the southern US or Mexico though (someplace sunny and, ideally, warm).

If you're willing to fly to semi-reasonable locations around the world there are quite a few eclipse viewing opportunities.

[MonctonRad]

Moncton will be on the edge of totality in 2024 too. It'll be 99% downtown but 100% in the northwest end around the casino.

No matter, I'm going to drive north to maybe Kouchibouguac when it happens to get the maximum duration of totality (which occurs in the centre of it's path).