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We had a total eclipse in 1979. I recall people being warned not to look directly at the sun and advising the use of welder's glasses. I recall there also being instructions on a cardboard viewer.
I don't remember anything about keeping kids in school at recess.
When the eclipse happened, birds roosted in trees and twittered quietly. It was surprisingly dark. Animals quieted down just as they normally would at dusk. Now I see posts online from people worried about their creatures staring at the sun !?!
I've seen one. It was in about 1972, and it was what Carly Simon was referring to in her song, "You're So Vain," when she sang the lyric, "Then you flew your Lear Jet up to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun." I was in Toronto at the time, and we were not in the path of totality (Nova Scotia was, thus the song lyric), but we did get about 80% totality in southern Ontario.
It took place on a Saturday, as I recall, so there was nothing about keeping kids in at recess. We kids were free to fry our eyes as much as we liked. No, just kidding; all the teachers at school told us how to make a "viewing box," with a pinhole in it, so we could safely watch. We were warned repeatedly, by teachers and parents and other adults, not to look at the eclipse directly, but I recall taking a couple of quick glimpses. Hey, I was a rebel, even back then.
As dangerous as it was, it was quite something to see. I did not see the moon cover the sun totally, but it was something to see the moon cut out a chunk of the sun. Quite the sight!
I hope that those who make the effort to see this one, do so safely. Enjoy, folks, you may only see one in your lifetime, but it's worth it if you try. But view it safely!
If you are in Montreal you will have to be on the South Shore or you won't see totality.
Quote:
A local astronomer estimates that as much as 45 per cent of the population in the Greater Montreal area is actually outside of the path, meaning around 2 million people will have to travel at least a few kilometres south or east to experience it.
It would be a shame to miss totality by a few kilometers.
Ottawa will miss it too. People will have top travel down to Cornwall. It could get pretty crowded if 100,000 people go down there. It could be even more. Ottawa has 1 million people, right?
I was in the 99.98% zone and as the late Montreal astrophysicist Hubert Reeves once said, when it comes to solar eclipses, it's 100% or nothing.
So it was quite underwhelming here.
One of my kids was in the 100% zone in downtown Montreal, with the special glasses. Said it was awesome.
Interesting. Even at 99% it was underwhelming?
We had around 40% here and I can't say I noticed a difference other than you could see it with a quick glance at the sun.
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