(Montreal) A total solar eclipse is more than one star hiding another. It is a show in several acts, and if the weather conditions are right, multiple phenomena, sometimes strange, can be observed by the trained eye.
On August 2, 1133, a total solar eclipse occurred in England. The event would coincide, according to ancient stories, with the flight of King Henry 1er towards Normandy. From that moment on, the king would never set foot in England again and ancient texts say that the eclipse was an omen of social chaos that led to civil war and the king’s death.
Several societies of the past associated eclipses with bad omens, misfortunes, and darkness. It is not difficult to imagine the fear that humans of other eras might have felt when the Sun suddenly disappeared. One only needs to take a look at certain ancient works of art, such as “Desolation of the Peruvians during the Lunar Eclipse,” engraved by Bernard Picard in 1723, to see the hysteria that the shadow of a moon could cause. a celestial body on Earth.
If eclipses create so many emotions, it is in particular because of the different phenomena, sometimes strange, that we can observe, all around us, while one star hides another.
Dropping temperature and flying shadows
During the total eclipse phase, the temperature can drop by around ten degrees Celsius. Solar eclipses also change the way air moves at ground level, so the wind can change direction.
Also, some clouds may tend to dissipate in the minutes preceding the total eclipse. So, if on April 8 you are discouraged by the clouds obscuring the sky, don’t completely lose hope, because it is possible that some cumulus clouds will disappear just before the eclipse and allow you to enjoy the spectacle. Researchers link this phenomenon to the cooling that occurs when the Moon hides the Sun.
The noticeable drop in brightness occurs about 20 minutes before the total eclipse and just before totality, from 30 seconds to 1 minute, flying shadows can be observed.
“It’s like waves of light that appear on the ground, a bit like the waves of light that we can observe at the bottom of a swimming pool in the sun, it’s a manifestation of atmospheric turbulence,” explained the astronomer Marc Jobin.
To properly observe this phenomenon, and also capture images with a video camera, the astronomer suggests placing a white sheet on the ground.
“It’s an unusual phenomenon that we only see at this time. »
Observe Venus, Jupiter and other planets
Monday’s total eclipse could be a great time to view planets, like Venus and Jupiter, as the sky begins to darken. It is best to prepare by identifying in advance where in the sky these two planets will be during the eclipse. Different applications, some free like Stellarium, indicate the positions of the stars and planets visible from the geographical location where you will be on April 8.
During the eclipse […] we will see Venus a little below the eclipsed Sun, then Jupiter a little above.
Marc Jobin, astronomer
“As we approach the totality of the eclipse, the brightness of the sky already decreases and Venus manages to emerge quite easily and I suspect that Jupiter too could become quite bright, quite visible, during the partial phases of the eclipse, early, before the totality of the eclipse,” said the man who is described as an “eclipse chaser.” Marc Jobin witnessed around ten total solar eclipses and spent nearly 33 minutes in the shadow of the Moon.
Mercury can also be seen as the total eclipse approaches as well as bright stars, such as Sirius and Capella.
“We can look at the sky during partial phases, without looking at the Sun” and “glasses are used to protect the eyes when looking towards the Sun, so there is no problem looking at the planets in the sky , without the glasses, before the totality phase”, explained the astronomer, specifying “that it is impossible to observe the planets with the glasses”.
However, it is very important not to look towards the Sun without protective glasses, because the risk of injury and permanent burns is very real.
Wildlife
There are few scientific studies on the behavior of animals during complete eclipses, in particular because of the rarity of these; the last total eclipse visible in Montreal occurred in 1932.
However, there are many individual sightings of animals exhibiting bizarre behavior.
For example, the Associated Press reported that seven years ago, Galapagos tortoises at the Riverbanks Zoological Garden in Columbia, South Carolina, began breeding at the height of an eclipse. The cause of this behavior is not yet clear.
When he was in the West Indies in 1998 to observe an eclipse, Marc Jobin noticed, “anecdotally”, a change in behavior among roosters.
“When daylight returned, the roosters began to crow”, as if it were morning, “this is the kind of observation that one can make during an eclipse”. On his website, the Chief Scientist of Quebec indicates that “many birds stop singing and group together or return to their nests as darkness descends, behaviors similar to those they adopt at night.” dusk.”
Farms and zoological gardens are therefore interesting places, according to Marc Jobin, to observe changes in animal behavior.
Moreover, on April 8, the Granby Zoo will conduct a study to see the effect of the eclipse on its residents. Researchers will study the behavior of 12 animal species during the eclipse, but also the day before and the day after it.
Pearls and diamond ring
A few seconds before the totality of the eclipse and a few seconds after, you can observe, with the goggles, the Moon almost completely covering the Sun, leaving a few bright spots of bright, sometimes pink light. These are called Baily pearls.
These pearls, or grains of light, are caused by the relief of the Moon. Lunar mountains and craters cause Baily Pearls to appear all around the Moon just before the total eclipse.
“The diamond ring” is the phenomenon observable when there remains a last point of light, before the complete disappearance of the Sun.
Baily’s pearls, the diamond ring and the total eclipse are observable only in the zone of totality.
During the total eclipse, the ambient light drops rapidly and it is possible to observe a corona around the Sun. This is also when different planets can be observed with the naked eye.
After the totality, you have to put the protective glasses back on and everything repeats, but in reverse order.
In order to fully experience the phenomenon of the total eclipse, according to Marc Jobin, you absolutely must be inside the zone of totality. Even just outside, the Sun is not completely hidden by the Moon, and night in daylight does not occur.
“A 99.99% partial eclipse is not equivalent to 99.99% of the experience” of a total eclipse, said Marc Jobin.
Several million Quebecers live in the totality zone of the eclipse. According to estimates from the Montreal Planetarium, 55% of the population of the Montreal metropolitan region is located within the totality band.
In Montreal, the duration of totality is expected to last approximately one minute and 30 seconds. In areas in the center of the zone of totality, such as Mont Mégantic, the total eclipse will last approximately three minutes and 28 seconds.