Achi news desk-
Evan Zucker has been on a transcontinental trip from San Diego, chasing clear skies ahead of Monday’s total solar eclipse.
While he originally planned to watch in Texas, a cloudy forecast led him and his wife, Paula, to pack their Kia SUV with their cameras and telescopes and begin the long drive to Sherbrooke, Que., 130 kilometers to east of Montreal.
Chasing Eclipse, he said, “is all about the weather.”
To maximize his chances, the 68-year-old made cancellable reservations a year ago in half a dozen cities that fall along the path of the eclipse, including Dallas; Little Rock, Ark.; and Rochester, NY
Although he may still change his mind, he expects Quebec’s Eastern Townships to be his final destination, and believes other eclipse watchers will follow. As the forecast in the southwestern United States darkens, he said the best weather increasingly looks like it will be in the northeast, including parts of Quebec and New Brunswick.
Lysandre Michaud-Verreault, a spokesman for the regional tourism office, said the Eastern Townships are ready for an influx, with more than 40 viewing parties and events planned. He said the region is special because it offers stargazing potential that goes beyond the eclipse.
“It is extremely rare for such a unique astronomical phenomenon to occur here, where the heart of the eclipse is located above two dark sky preserves and above the ASTROlab,” said Michaud-Verreault, referring to an observatory and astronomy museum near Lac- Megantic, Que. “It’s really something for the Eastern Townships.”
As they make their way to Quebec, Zucker and his wife have been dealing with “very bad weather” en route, including hurricanes, severe thunderstorms and flooding. “It’s been a real challenge,” he said. But it will be worth it if he can make it to clear skies to watch his 10th total eclipse.
Zucker said he has been fascinated by the celestial phenomenon since he was a teenager in New York, when at age 14 he convinced some of his teachers to drive him to Virginia for his first total eclipse on March 7, 1970.
“It’s incredibly passionate,” said Zucker, who spoke to The Canadian Press as he traveled north from Ohio. “The sun basically disappears, replaced by a large black disc of the moon and the white curling atmosphere of the corona around it.
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“It’s like nothing else you can see on Earth.”
Canadian cities from Niagara Falls, Ont., to Gander, NL, are preparing to welcome visitors hoping to spend a few minutes in darkness during the rare alignment of the sun, Earth and moon.
Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have areas along the path of totality – where the moon will appear to completely block the sun. Airbnb reports that the Niagara Region and Montreal are the two most booked destinations in Canada before April 8.
The flagship event in the Eastern Townships will take place in and around the ASTROlab, where scientists and presenters will lead activities, and an outdoor stage will be set up to broadcast the progress of the eclipse on a giant screen.
Many towns will host their own smaller events, with amateur astronomers on hand to provide explanations, as well as food, crafts and free eclipse glasses to protect eyesight.
A history museum in Magog, Que., is offering a vintage eclipse day, complete with actors in period costumes and a chance to build a pinhole eclipse box and safely observe the celestial phenomenon through it. Hampden, Que., is hosting a viewing event featuring free eclipse-themed food, including “solar” juice, “meteor” cotton candy and “total eclipse” pizza.
The region has several ski hills, and most of them host guided hikes or chairlift rides for viewing parties at the summit, Michaud-Verreault said.
Outside the Eastern Townships, Montreal is expected to host a number of large viewing events, including one at Jean-Drapeau Park, on an island in the St. River. Lawrence, attended by Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques.
Zucker says he likely won’t be at a major event. While he likes to watch with others and will bring hundreds of eclipse glasses to hand out, he travels with 11 still and video cameras and three telescopes, which require a lot of space.
He says he hopes 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 leaving the north-east.
While he had originally called this month’s event the “great American eclipse,” his northern journey has been dubbed the “Great North American Eclipse” instead. The 2017 solar eclipse was only in the United States, he said. “This one is in Mexico, the United States and Canada.”
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