The eclipse of the century. What you need to know about the April 8 eclipse (II)

this is a follow up of a prevoius post

Another factor that explains why total solar eclipses are so rare is the tilt of the natural satellite's orbit. “The orbital plane of the Moon is inclined, relative to the orbital plane of the Earth, by approximately five degrees,” says the astrophysicist. We can therefore see the Moon passing between the Earth and the Sun without it being perfectly aligned with the Sun. »

A total solar eclipse occurs approximately every 18 months on Earth. In Quebec, the last one dates back to 1972. To find out when the next eclipses visible from Canada will take place in the next millennium, select a city below!

What will happen on April 8?

So what can we expect on April 8? Let's dissect each of the stages of this total solar eclipse.

2:14 p.m. – The partial eclipse begins, a little over an hour before the start of the totality phase. During this time, the Moon gradually covers the Sun. This quietly takes the shape of a crescent in the sky. “At the beginning, we see almost nothing, unless we look with the appropriate glasses, thanks to which we will notice that a small piece of the Sun is slightly hidden,” underlines Mr. Lamontagne.

2:43 p.m. – As the Sun is covered by the Moon (“at least 70%”), the Sun’s crescent becomes more and more evident. We can also notice this shape without having to stare at the Sun: just look at the ground! The shadows of the trees and their many branches will be dotted with luminous crescents. “We will start to notice that the light becomes a little weaker, a bit like at the end of the day,” adds Robert Lamontagne.

3:10 p.m. – About fifteen minutes before the start of the totality phase, we begin to notice a change in the air. The sky slowly darkens, and the colors take on darker, grayish tones. The climate is also starting to be affected. Then, as darkness sets in and light becomes scarce, we begin to observe a change in behavior in the animals.

3:24 p.m. – Totality is imminent. The Sun is almost entirely hidden by the Moon, and the solar corona begins to appear. We can see bands of shadow, characterized by movements of light and darkness on flat surfaces. “But as long as there is a small part of the Sun that is not hidden, we are still in the daytime. The sky is not black, we do not see stars or planets in the sky,” explains the astrophysicist.

By observing the Sun with appropriate glasses just before the start of totality, we will also see small points of light around the Moon, the Baily grains, caused by the light of the Sun shining through the mountainous terrain of our satellite natural. When only one of these grains remains visible, just before the Sun disappears, it gives the illusion of a diamond ring in the sky.

4:36 p.m. – The partial eclipse ends. For those who missed the event in Montreal, the date for the next total solar eclipse will be in 2205!

“There is an almost spiritual aspect to seeing this,” describes Robert Lamontagne, who has already witnessed total solar eclipses outside Quebec. “It’s an impressive phenomenon to see night coming in broad daylight. There are very, very few humans who have seen this. [...] For the vast majority of people, it will only happen once in their life, or so. »

(to be continued)

The eclipse of the century. What you need to know about the April 8 eclipse (III)

this is a follow up of a prevoius post

Attending an astronomical event which has an apparent impact on Earth is also a testimony to our “connection with the Cosmos”, according to him. Experiencing it in a group is even better. “It’s like when the Canadian scores a goal for hockey fans, it’s a collective experience. If you're watching a game at home, it's not the same as being at the stadium, arena or sports bar, right? »

Confused animals

The drop in brightness during the partial eclipse causes behavioral changes in nature. They can easily be observed in birds, among others. “For them, it’s the end of the day. They sing a bit like at sunset, they become calmer. [...] It's the night that begins, even if it's very disturbing, because it only lasts three or four minutes. » When the Sun reappears in the sky, we witness the opposite effect: the birds begin to sing again and the vegetation returns to its usual state.

Stay warm !

With the gradual disappearance of the Sun in the sky, “we will feel a drop in temperature”. The mercury could drop four or five degrees in the area of totality, and even up to 10 degrees, depending on the location and the weather that day. Winds can also change direction or gain strength. To avoid unpleasant surprises, Robert Lamontagne advises dressing accordingly. “Wrap yourself a little wool, because we're going to feel that it's cold! »

Eclipses, an astrological mystery

Draconian changes, emotional upheavals, a dragon that devours the Sun... Astrological traditions around the world have attempted to explain eclipses, but also to determine their influence on human life. “The life of our ancestors was organized around the Cosmos, that is to say that the sky had a capital importance for them on several levels”, much more than for us, underlines the astrophysicist. However, no effects on humans have been proven so far by science.

A distant future without a total eclipse?

Throughout the entire period of human civilization, solar eclipses have had the same appearance, occurring in partial, total or annular form. But that hasn’t always been the case on Earth – and that could also change in several hundred million years.

As the Moon moves away from our planet, at a leisurely pace of a few centimeters per year, its relative size in the sky decreases. This change is imperceptible on our scale, but a day will still come when the Moon will no longer be able to cover the Sun in its entirety. “From that moment on, we will have solar eclipses, but they will always be annular,” explains Robert Lamontagne. And that’s going to happen in about 600 million years. »

Conversely, hundreds of millions, even billions of years ago, the Moon occupied a much larger place in the sky. Eclipses were therefore more frequent, and lasted much longer.