Ontario is getting a ‘once in a lifetime’ total solar eclipse & here’s when

A rare phenomenon that only comes around once in a lifetime is set to take place in Ontario. A total solar eclipse will turn daytime into darkness in our province next year.

NASA says that the eclipse will cross North America and pass over Mexico, the United States, and Canada on Monday, April 8th, 2024.

It will begin over the South Pacific Ocean, enter Mexico, and travel through the U.S.

By the afternoon, it will enter southern Ontario and then head east.

The total solar eclipse will be visible in Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada, according to The Weather Network.

During the rare event, the moon will “pass directly between Earth and the Sun, casting a dark shadow on a tiny strip of land below,” says the weather outlet.

As a result, parts of Ontario will experience more than three minutes of daytime darkness.

Cities that are directly beneath the eclipse’s shadow will turn from daytime to total darkness, and a “sunset-like glow” will be visible in the distance at the edge of the shadow.

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Some cities in Ontario, like Hamilton and Kingston, will have an especially good view of the moon eclipsing the sun.

A map shared by Time and Date lists which Ontario cities are directly in the pathway of the total solar eclipse.

Here are the cities that will land directly beneath the eclipse’s shadow, allowing for the best view:

• Kingston, Ontario
• St. Catharines, Ontario
• Belleville, Ontario
• Hamilton, Ontario
• Brockville, Ontario
• Niagara Region, Ontario
• Cornwall, Ontario

The following regions are just outside of the pathway, but should still get to enjoy a great view:

• Greater Toronto Area, Ontario
• London-St. Thomas, Ontario
• Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario
• Ottawa, Ontario

The last time that a solar eclipse took place in Canada was 2008, but it was only visible in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

More recently in 2017, a total solar eclipse was visible from coast to coast in the United States.

This could be your one and only chance to see this fascinating occurrence here in Ontario as long as you live. How wild is that?!

Be sure to mark your calendar in advance, and maybe make a special trip to Hamilton or Kingston to get the full effect.