Evan Zucker has been traveling across the continent from San Diego, trying to find clear skies before Monday’s total solar eclipse.
Although he originally planned to watch in Texas, a cloudy forecast made him and his wife, Paula, pack up their Kia SUV with their cameras and telescopes and start the long drive to Sherbrooke, Que., 130 kilometers east of Montreal.
According to him, chasing eclipses depends on the weather.
To increase his chances, the 68-year-old booked cancellable reservations a year ago in six cities along the eclipse’s path, including Dallas; Little Rock, Ark.; and Rochester, N.Y.
Although he might change his mind, he expects Quebec’s Eastern Townships to be his final destination, and he thinks other eclipse-watchers will do the same. He mentioned that as the forecast in the southwestern United States has worsened, the best weather is starting to look like it will be in the northeast, including parts of Quebec and New Brunswick.
Lysandre Michaud-Verreault, a spokeswoman for the regional tourism office, said the Eastern Townships are prepared for an increase in visitors, with more than 40 viewing parties and events planned. She stated that the region is unique because it offers stargazing opportunities beyond the eclipse.
“It’s extremely uncommon for such a unique astronomical event to occur here, with the center of the eclipse positioned above two dark sky preserves and above the ASTROlab,” Michaud-Verreault mentioned, referring to an observatory and astronomy museum near Lac-Megantic, Que. “It’s really something for the Eastern Townships.”
As they travel to Quebec, Zucker and his wife have been facing “really bad weather” on the road, including tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flooding. “It’s been a real challenge,” he said. But it will be worth it if he can reach clear skies to watch his 10th total eclipse.
Zucker mentioned he’s been captivated by the celestial phenomenon since he was a teenager in New York, when at 14 years old he convinced some of his teachers to drive him to Virginia for his first total eclipse on March 7, 1970.
“It’s just very visceral,” said Zucker, who spoke to The Canadian Press as he traveled north from Ohio. “The sun basically disappears, replaced by a big black disc of the moon and the white curly atmosphere of the corona around it.
“It’s like nothing else you can see on Earth.”
Canadian cities from Niagara Falls, Ont., to Gander, N.L., are getting ready to welcome visitors hoping to experience a few minutes of darkness during the rare alignment of the sun, Earth, and moon.
Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador all have areas along the path of totality — where the moon will fully block out the sun. Airbnb reports that Niagara Region and Montreal are the two most booked Canadian destinations ahead of April 8.
The main event in the Eastern Townships will happen in and around the ASTROlab, where scientists and presenters will lead activities, and an outdoor stage will be set up to show the eclipse’s progress on a large screen.
Many towns will have their own smaller events, with amateur astronomers available to provide explanations, as well as food, crafts and free eclipse glasses to protect eyesight.
A history museum in Magog, Que., is providing a traditional eclipse day, complete with actors in period costumes and the opportunity to construct a pinhole eclipse box and safely observe the celestial phenomenon through it. Hampden, Que., is organizing a viewing event featuring free eclipse-themed food, including “solar” juice, “meteorite” cotton candy and “total eclipse” pizza.
The area has several ski hills, and most of them are arranging guided hikes or chairlift rides for viewing parties on the summit, Michaud-Verreault said.
Outside of the Eastern Townships, Montreal is expected to host several large viewing events, including one at Parc Jean-Drapeau, on an island in the St. Lawrence River, that will be attended by Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques.
Zucker says he probably won’t be at a major event. While he enjoys watching with others and will bring hundreds of eclipse glasses to distribute, he travels with 11 still and video cameras and three telescopes, which require a lot of room.
He says he’s hoping to find a spot with a good view of not only the eclipse itself but also the different horizons, so he can photograph the moon’s shadow coming in from the southwest and departing to the northeast.
While he had originally called this month’s event the “great American eclipse,” his northern trip has him calling it the “Great North American eclipse” instead. A solar eclipse in 2017 was only in the U.S., he said. “This one is in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.”
