Where will you be be watching the total solar eclipse?
The highly anticipated day has arrived and watch parties are planned across Montreal for residents to experience the rare celestial event together on April 8 — grab your eclipse glasses, and enjoy watching the moon pass directly in front of the sun, blocking it to create a day-turns-to-night phenomenon.
While you can watch the show on your own, here are some events in the city:
McGill University
The Trottier Space Institute and the Department of Physics on the McGill campus are hosting an Eclipse Fair and Viewing Party. From 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. there will be booths for all ages to explore the science behind eclipses, hands-on activities, and demos. The event is free, open to the general public, and free eclipse glasses will be provided.
When: 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: McGill Campus, Lower Field (to the right of the Roddick Gates) | 859 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal
Parc Jean-Drapeau
“All together for a once-in-a-lifetime event,” writes Parc Jean-Drapeau on their website. They invite Montrealers to join them for the exceptional event today at Espace 67 that will feature musicians and experts. Festivities begin at 11 a.m. and free protective eclipse eyeglasses will be handed out on-site.
When: Starting at 11 a.m.
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau (They strongly recommend using the metro to get to parc Jean-Drapeau and purchasing round-trip fare in advance.)
Montreal Science Museum
The Science Centre will be a free official viewing location today. “Watching an eclipse together makes it all the more memorable,” writes the centre on their event page. Everyone is invited to gather in front of the building to watch the eclipse happen right above the city. Free eclipse glasses will be available, along with special activities and contests.
When: Starting at 1 p.m.
Where: The Montréal Science Centre
Quartier des spectacles
The Quartier des spectacles will be filled with music being played through speakers during the eclipse. The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) has produced a playlist on Spotify that synchronizes with the phases of the eclipse — you can listen to the playlist anywhere too, they recommend starting it at 2:14 p.m. for a unique experience.
When: 2:14 p.m.
Where: Quartier des spectacles
The total solar eclipse will happen at around 3:27 p.m. and is predicted to last only about a minute-and-a-half.
Those wanting to watch the total solar eclipse should find themselves a pair of protective eclipse eyeglasses as looking directly into the sun can cause permanent eye damage, experts have said.
The eclipse can be viewed in different parts of Montreal, but areas like the East end and even Laval won’t experience the day-turns-to-night phenomenon.
Applications such as My Eclipse can tell you if you will be in the total solar eclipse zone and how long it will last for a specific location.
Happy viewing!