On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will occur over the Thetford area. For about two minutes, residents will be able to watch the moon completely cover it and see the daylight dim. This event happened in the region 60 years ago, in 1963, but it won’t repeat itself until the year 2205.
Julie Bolduc Duvall, astronomer and science communicator, would like to inform local residents of this very rare event. “A solar eclipse that passes over us is almost once in a lifetime. Those who saw it in 1963 and are still around today will be very lucky because it won’t happen again for nearly 180 years. I’ve been working on this for two years now. He says People tell themselves that April 2024 is still a long way off, but there is a security issue that we have to think about. To watch the eclipse, you need specially designed glasses for that and we risk a shortage.”
The Thetford Mines resident has been teaching astronomy for twenty years. She collaborates with astrophysicists across Canada and is the director of the Discover the Universe program. Presented in French and English, this program helps primary and secondary school teachers with educational content related to astronomy. It is also part of the Eclipse Quebec group.
“My job is to inform schools, but I also give myself a civic duty to do so in my community. I want people here to be ready. During the last great eclipse in North America in 2017, there were a lot of fake glasses offered at the last minute on Amazon.” she said. The information is authenticated, but it is fake. Currently, there are no local points of sale, so we are working with the group to make sure they are.”
Wearing glasses will be important to be able to view the eclipse because, as at all times, contemplation of the sun is dangerous to the human eye. The specialized glass blocks 99.9% of light and makes observation safe. According to Mrs. Bolduc-Duval, alternative methods are not recommended. To take pictures with a cell phone, she recommends putting the glasses in front of the lens so that the picture is better. For more advanced cameras and camcorders, there are opaque filters for this type of shot. Note that the scolaire des Appalaches Service Center has planned the coup and will provide glasses to all students.
Julie Bolduc-Duval also expects the event to attract many curious people because many places in the province will not have the opportunity to see a total eclipse. “In Sherbrooke and Saint-Georges, they will see it, but in Quebec it will not be complete. For example, in 2017, a city in the United States of 30,000 people doubled on that day. It happened in the middle of summer, so it might have had “People have more time to commute. With us it will be a Monday in April, but in the weeks before, the madness is going to get crazy and it’s going to be everywhere in the media. On the tourism side, that could be a huge asset for Thetford.”
The astronomer and science interviewer says she herself is thrilled to experience this event at home. “We think that only astronomy enthusiasts are enthusiasts, but that is not the case at all. Wherever it happens, the madness is there. When you see the sun disappear, you understand why certain communities in the past panicked during eclipses. It brings many emotions to life because it Really impressive phenomenon.”
Of course, if the sky was overcast that day, the experience wouldn’t be the same, but people would still be able to observe the darkness of daylight. Julie Bolduc Duvall hopes the weather is good present to fully experience the event.
To visit the Discovering the Universe website: https://www.discoveryoftheuniverse.ca/eclipse
For more details about the upcoming solar eclipse: https://www.eclipsequebec.ca/
Here is a video of people’s reaction to the solar eclipse that occurred in the United States in 2017:
