Did you know that a Solar Eclipse will be visible from much of Canada on June 10, 2021?
This eclipse will be an Annular Solar Eclipse. You can visit our main eclipse page to get details on this upcoming eclipse and learn more about eclipses in general.
Are you ready to wake up early to see this unique spectacle, and take up our Eclipse Challenge?
Warning! Never observe the Sun directly without specially designed eye protection, such as eclipse glasses or solar filters!
Don't have special glasses? No problem!
It is possible to observe the eclipse indirectly by projection, and this is your challenge!
The trick is to project an image of the Sun through a small hole on any surface (e.g. screen, wall, cardboard, etc.). This method will safely show you the eclipse by shadowing the part of the Sun that is hidden by the Moon during the eclipse. Everything is explained in the video above, and there are more examples below.
It is completely safe to observe the eclipse this way since you are not looking directly at the Sun, but a projection of it!
Rather than using a single hole, you can have fun making several holes in cardboard or a sheet of paper. Each of the holes will create an image of the Sun on the screen. You can clearly see the partial eclipse projected on the ground in the right image above.
Get creative! Have fun writing words or drawing a picture by punching several holes. You can also use any object with holes such as a spatula, a colander, or even leaves from a tree!
Join our Facebook event and use the #DefiEclipseChallenge hashtag to share what you've made, what you plan to use, any tests you perform to make sure your projection works, and most importantly, your photos of the eclipse projection!
For the 2017 solar eclipse, Julie Bolduc-Duval, our director, and Rosa Doran from Portugal both brought kitchen utensils to watch the eclipse! On the right, the projection of the partial eclipse through Rosa's spatula.
When is the eclipse?
The eclipse will be visible very early in the morning. For many, it will be from sunrise until around 7 a.m. To find out the exact times for where you live, you can use the TimeAndDate app (enter your location), or consult the list on the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium of Montreal website.
What will the Sun look like during the eclipse?
Anyone located in the path of annularity (grey regions on the map above) will be able to see a ring of the Sun: a complete Annular Eclipse! The maximum of the eclipse (when the ring of the Sun is visible) lasts only a few minutes and will be preceded and followed by a partial eclipse.
Anyone outside the path of annularity (in the green, yellow, and red regions of the map) will see a nice partial eclipse.
Happy eclipse viewing everyone!
