On April 8, a total solar eclipse will be visible from a narrow path that stretches from Mexico to Newfoundland and Labrador.
In London, Ont., a 99.6 per cent partial eclipse will be visible as the city is outside the approximately 180-km wide totality path of the moon and therefore not all the sun’s rays will be blocked.
Jan Cami, professor of physics and astronomy and director of the Hume Cronyn Memorial Observatory at Western, has seen his fair share of eclipses, travelling the world from Zambia and Zimbabwe to the Western United States to be in the right place at the right time.
For the upcoming eclipse, he’s travelling with a team of Western astronomers to Texas for optimal viewing in the path of totality. They are eyeing Texas for clearer skies, and because it lies in part of the path where the time in totality is slightly longer than other regions.
“Here in London, I do expect it will get a little bit darker, it’ll be something like a severe thunderstorm level of darkness,” said Cami. “If you can figure out a way to get into that path of totality, with clear skies, you will take the experience with you for the rest of your life, you will tell your grandchildren and you will never regret it.”
Cami says those who aren’t able to view the eclipse in the path of totality will still be able to see how fast the moon moves across the sky as it “takes a bite” out of the sun during the partial eclipse.
Physics and astronomy chair Pauline Barmby will be joining CBC News Network for their afternoon coverage of the eclipse. Barmby will provide insights and demonstrations for the audience alongside host Andrew Nichols throughout CBC’s live coverage.
Solar glasses
Cami has been a major part of an initiative between the Hume Cronyn Memorial Observatory and the Western Institute for Earth and Space Exploration (Western Space) to share information with the public about how to watch the eclipse safely. The team distributed solar glasses to communities across London, Ont. and to members of the campus community, including London Public Libraries, Tourism London and some elementary schools.
While glasses supplied from Cronyn and Western Space have run out, Cami stresses safety is the most important factor to keep in mind on April 8, and outlines three tips to make sure your glasses are safe for use:
- They come from a reputable vendor and have the ISO certification number ISO 12312-2.
- You can only see very bright lights through them.
- If there is any sign of damage, such as a scratch or puncture, discard the glasses.
Cami says you can test the glasses if you’re unsure of their certification by shining a flashlight through them from nearby. You should only be able to see a very faint light through the glasses.
What is a solar eclipse?
Jan Cami and JW Mustang enjoy the view through their solar glasses. (Steven Anderson/Western Communications)
A solar eclipse is a rare celestial phenomenon that occurs when the sun, moon and Earth are perfectly aligned, so the moon casts a shadow on the Earth. If you’re in the right place on the Earth’s surface – in that shadow – the moon completely blocks the sun, resulting in a total solar eclipse.
In the sky, there is a “black hole” where the sun used to be, and the shadow cone of the moon causes a 360-degree twilight. Shadows become crisper; colours are off. Nature responds to this twilight of totality as well: animals sometimes behave differently, and certain flowers will close for those short minutes.
The solar corona
The solar corona visible during a total solar eclipse in 2017. (Grégory Viénot/Wikimedia commons)
While it will not be visible from London, Ont., Cami says the solar corona is the most impressive part of a total eclipse.
The solar corona is the outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere. Made of a very hot gas that extends quite far out, it’s a million times fainter than the sun and is hard to see because of light scattering. Cami says the only time it is possible to see the corona in all its splendour from Earth is during the complete darkness of a total solar eclipse.
During the solar eclipse’s totality, “streamers” in the corona – large-scale structures in the corona that are brighter because of higher density – can be clearly visible and extend out from the sun.
“During a total eclipse in the path of totality, if you look up to the sky where the sun used to be, you will now see a big black hole and around it is this white corona, typically showing long streamers,” said Cami. “Because we are near solar maximum, I expect it will be very good display.”
The solar maximum refers to the time in the sun’s 11-year solar cycle when greater activity is measured on the sun’s surface, including sunspots and solar flares.
Indigenous observance
The upcoming solar eclipse is a significant observance within Haudenosaunee (Oneida) and Anishinabe traditions. Centuries ago, the five nations that formed the Haudenosaunee Confederacy came together to formulate the Great Law of Peace, an event that occurred at the same time as a solar eclipse. Since then, a solar eclipse has been a reminder to the Haudenosaunee of their union as a people.
Western’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives offers these links for more information:
Onondaga Solar Eclipse of 2024
Indigenous Knowledge – Solar Eclipse 2024
April eclipse will spark memories of peaceful origins for Indigenous nations
Safety first
Tips from the Middlesex London Health Unit and Southwestern Public Health:
- In London, Ont. the partial eclipse starts at 2:01 p.m. The maximum of the eclipse occurs at 3:17 p.m. and the eclipse ends at 4:29 p.m.
- Do not look directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection.
- Indirect viewing methods, such as pinhole projectors, can be used to experience an eclipse.
- Cameras, phones, telescopes and binoculars do not offer adequate eye protection.
- Instead, consider alternate viewing methods such as an eclipse box or LiveStream if proper eyewear is unavailable.
- Drive carefully with your headlights on, as the solar eclipse can create night-like conditions.
Learn more about the eclipse:
Hume Cronyn Memorial Observatory
London Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
