'Everybody is just in awe during totality': Eclipse presentations available
Three weeks before a rare total solar eclipse bathes the region in darkness, Windsorites are reflecting on eclipses past and are preparing for what will be the experience of a lifetime.
Tom Sobocan travelled to Kentucky in August 2017 to experience being in the zone of totality, where the sun is completely covered by the moon, during a total solar eclipse.
“Don't miss the experience on eclipse day,” said Sobocan who is a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Windsor Branch. “It's just this awesome thing in the sky with a sky colour that you've never seen before. Everything goes quiet and everybody is just in awe during totality.”
Steve Pellarin, a University of Windsor astronomer, said totality will happen shortly after 3 p.m. on April 8, 2024.
The first rule of watching an eclipse? Be sure to wear ISO certified solar eclipse safety glasses.
“Especially when the sun is covered mostly it doesn't feel that you're hurting your eyes but there still could be damage going on so you want to be very careful about that,” said Pellarin.
Pellarin has a website that can help guide your experience including where to see it. The viewing experience will be different if you are in the City of Windsor.
“We're going to get a pretty complete eclipse,” Pellarin said. “It's going to be about 99 per cent, but there's a huge difference between what you see at 99 and what you see in the zone of totality.”
“It will get darker. The shadows around you will start to change. They'll have very sharp edges around them. Animals will react to this. There might be a bit of a breeze that comes up. There might be a drop in temperature,” said Pellarin of the experience of those who aren’t in the zone of totality.
He also warned that weather could play a factor, especially if it is cloudy.
“There are maps available online that you can find out weather forecasts for other areas and you might be willing to travel,” he said.
The time under the eclipse will vary depending on where you are.
“If you're down at the tip of Point Pelee you might get a couple of minutes of darkness under the completely covered sun,” he said.
Pellarin is doing presentations from now until early April to help explain what to expect during the moments leading up to and following the eclipse.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
All London Drugs stores closed across Western Canada due to system issue
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs are shut down Sunday, and there is no estimate on when they will be back open.
Casey DeSmith won’t start Game 4 for the Canucks
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Vancouver Canucks when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Sunday.
Putin likely didn't order death of Russian opposition leader Navalny, U.S. official says
U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn't order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February, according to an official familiar with the determination.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Cybersecurity expert weighs in on the possibility of a U.S. ban of TikTok
Anyone who has a Gen-Z person in their life is likely familiar with the popular social media app TikTok, but a new bill in the U.S. may soon take it off of the American market.
Murder charge laid after man falls to death from Toronto apartment balcony
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Have you heard the one about Trump? Biden tries humour on the campaign trail
U.S. President Joe Biden is out to win votes by scoring some laughs at the expense of Donald Trump, unleashing mockery with the goal of getting under the former president's thin skin and reminding the country of his blunders.