Montreal eclipse updates: Sunny skies make it a perfect day for skywatching

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Updated throughout the day on Monday, April 8. Questions/comments: ariga@postmedia.com

Latest updates

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• Stars are aligned for Mont-Mégantic Astrolab
• Stars are aligned for Mont-Mégantic Astrolab
• Legault visits Longueuil elementary school
• Wide-open spaces will offer the best views
• Viewing tips from Montreal astronomers
• Video: An eclipse primer from the Montreal Planetarium
• City to give out 150,000 pairs of eclipse glasses at Parc Jean-Drapeau event
• Expect the temperature to drop
• Mother Nature is cooperating
• Maps: These parts of Montreal will get totally dark
• Best spots around Montreal to watch the eclipse
• Video: Here’s what you can expect to see in Montreal
• Do you really need eclipse glasses?
• Being outdoors is safe, but be cautious, Quebec says

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9:45 a.m.

Dark Side of the Moon

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9:30 a.m.

Stars are aligned for Mont-Mégantic Astrolab

The Mont-Mégantic Astrolab astronomy activity centre is having its moment in the sun.

When the Moon meets the sun around 3:28 p.m., people who are at the facility in Mont-Mégantic provincial park will be able to spend 3 minutes and 28 seconds in the moon’s shadow, La Presse Canadienne reports.

That’s a minute more than most Montrealers and a few seconds more than Sherbrooke residents.

The Astrolab has been preparing for eclipse day for over a year – 2,500 people are expected, said park spokesperson Marie-Georges Bélanger.

“People from Montreal, Quebec, but also the United States and France” are expected, she said.

“Being at Mont-Mégantic on the day of the eclipse is truly a privilege because people will be surrounded by a team of specialists, science communicators,” Bélanger said.

The Astrolab team is preparing a show to be broadcast live on social networks, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, visit Astrolab’s eclipse webpage.

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9 a.m.

Legault visits Longueuil elementary school

Premier François Legault will observe the phenomenon with children at an elementary school in Longueuil this afternoon.

During a 1932 total eclipse, the premier of the day – Louis-Alexandre Taschereau – met his cabinet early so he could enjoy the eclipse. He wasn’t very talkative as he left the National Assembly, the Montreal Star reported on its front page.

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8:45 a.m.

No bikes or dogs on the Yellow Line

With a large crowd expected at the planetarium’s Parc Jean-Drapeau viewing event, bikes and dogs won’t be allowed on the métro Yellow Line for much of the day.

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8:40 a.m.

Wide-open spaces will offer the best views

“There’s no real ‘best’ spot and you don’t need to overthink this,” Trevor Kjorlien, a local astronomy fan, says on his website, Plateau Astro.

“Most importantly: make sure you’re in the blue part of the map below. And the further ‘in’ to the blue you are, the longer totality time you’ll get. So if you’re in the Old Port, you’ll get more totality time than if you were in Parc Jarry, for instance.”

He says “a wide open space like a park is ideal. This will give you a good view of the 360-degree sunset that happens at totality.”

Kjorlien offers a few suggestions that might work, along with the pros and cons of each.

His recommendations include several big parks: Jeanne-Mance, La Fontaine, Angrignon and Jarry. Also on the list are St-Joseph’s Oratory, the Outremont Lookout and Beaver Lake,

For details, visit Plateau Astro.

8:15 a.m.

Viewing tips from Montreal astronomers

Marc Jobin, an astronomer at the Montreal Planetarium and seasoned eclipse chaser, knows the ins and outs of eclipse-watching, having witnessed 10 total solar eclipses over the past 25 years.

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“You’re really plunged into an environment that changes around you, and it’s supernatural,” he said. “It works on very primitive behaviours.”

Katelyn Thomas spoke to local astronomers about what to look out for.

Read her full story.

7:55 a.m.

Video: An eclipse primer from the Montreal Planetarium

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7:40 a.m.

City to give out 150,000 pairs of eclipse glasses at Parc Jean-Drapeau event

One of today’s biggest group viewing events will take place at Parc Jean-Drapeau.

The city says the site provides “an ideal eclipse-watching area, with many uninterrupted vantage points toward the sun in a charming location.”

Experts from the Planetarium and Espace pour la vie will “enlighten curious onlookers and hand out 150,000 pairs of glasses for safe viewing of the eclipse.”

The site – at the métro Yellow Line’s Parc Jean-Drapeau station – opens at 11 a.m.

For more information, visit the Planetarium website.

For a list of other public events, read our story, by Susan Schwartz.

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7:30 a.m.

Here’s how it works

7:20 a.m.

Expect the temperature to drop

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7:20 a.m.

Mother Nature is cooperating

Today’s Environment Canada forecast calls for an unobstructed view of the sun.

Along with clear skies, the city will enjoy a high of 16 Celcius — double the average high for April 8.

Montrealers should count themselves lucky.

In 1932, the last time the island experienced a total solar eclipse, the skies were very cloudy, leaving skygazers grumbling.

In February 1979, Montreal was prepared for a partial eclipse, with 77 per cent of the sun expected to be covered by the moon.

The Montreal Star headline the next day: “Blizzard blocks eclipse.”

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6 a.m.

Maps: These parts of Montreal will get totally dark

6 a.m.

Best spots around Montreal to watch the eclipse

You could, of course, view the total solar eclipse on your own. But the experience may be more memorable if you view it with others.

Several group eclipse-viewing events will give people that opportunity. They’re free and open to the public.

Read our full story, by Susan Schwartz.

6 a.m.

Video: Here’s what you can expect to see in Montreal

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6 a.m.

Do you really need eclipse glasses?

Eclipse glasses are essential to safely watch the moon gradually move in front of the sun.

But there are other ways to view partial phases of the eclipse if you can’t get your hands on a pair — and they’re not necessary during the short period of totality when the sun is completely blocked.

Read our full story, by Katelyn Thomas

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6 a.m.

Being outdoors is safe, but be cautious

The Quebec government is offering advice to people worried about being outside during the eclipse.

“Being outdoors during a solar eclipse is not a health hazard if you’re not looking directly at the sun,” the province says. ” You can enjoy your usual outdoor activities throughout the eclipse.”

Here are some of the government’s tips:

For driving during the solar eclipse

It is safe to drive during the eclipse. However, do not allow this spectacular phenomenon to distract you while driving. Windows, even tinted ones, and the windshield of your vehicle do not afford adequate protection to watch the eclipse. Do not directly observe the sun and do not use solar eclipse glasses since they only allow you to see the sun and cannot, therefore, be worn while driving.

Do not stop your vehicle on the road or on the shoulder to watch the eclipse. You must at all times comply with the Highway Safety Code and allow emergency vehicles to circulate.

Traffic congestion and slowdowns are possible in areas where a total eclipse will be visible and near numerous assembly sites organized to observe the eclipse. Allow extra time to reach your destination. Consult the Québec 511 website or dial 511 for information on the state of the road network.

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Heavier demand for electric vehicle charging stations is also anticipated in certain sectors. Plan recharging time for your vehicle accordingly.

If you work outdoors 

To protect your health and safety, as well as your physical and psychological well-being, please observe the following recommendations if you’re an outdoor worker.

• Do not look directly at the eclipse without proper protection for the duration of the eclipse.
• For personnel who have to look up to the sky, we recommend keeping the sun out of their field of vision (e.g. standing with their backs to the sun).
• Avoid observing or photographing the eclipse through a lens (e.g. cell phone, binoculars, telescope) without a suitable solar filter. Activities with this type of equipment should be postponed until after the eclipse to limit all risks.

If you have pets or livestock

As pets are unlikely to look at the sun, the risk to their eyes is low. To minimize these risks, you can keep your pet indoors. However, your pet may become excited during the eclipse. If in doubt, consult your veterinarian.

During a solar eclipse, farm animals may sometimes react as if it were evening, adopting nocturnal behaviour (e.g., returning to the barn or stable, lying down, or eating). Others may stop their activities for a few minutes out of curiosity. As with pets, farm animals don’t tend to look at the sun, so there’s little risk of damage to their eyes.

Read more on Quebec’s eclipse page.

ariga@postmedia.com

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