How to see the Partial Solar Eclipse in Montréal on October 14, 2023

Montréal will be treated to a solar eclipse this autumn. This is when the Moon appears to go in front of the Sun, blocking some portion of it.

For this eclipse, we'll see about 20% of the Sun get blocked in Montréal. These are quite a rare event, so if it's clear and you have the right equipment, you should definitely make time to watch this.

I've created a quick video on how to see it. Below, I'll go in further detail:

When?

The solar eclipse will be visible on Saturday, October 14. Here are the most important times:

• 12:11 PM: start of the eclipse. The Moon will begin blocking the Sun on the right-hand side.
• 1:17 PM: maximum eclipse. This is the most the Sun will be blocked.
• 2:23 PM: end of the eclipse. The Moon will stop blocking the Sun on the bottom-left.

For complete info and animation of the eclipse from Montréal, TimeAndDate.com.

Where?

This will be visible over most of North and South America. So if you have friends in these continents, let them know!

The times and view will be different depending on where you are on Earth. Use this page to find the full info for locations.

Where in Montréal?

The eclipse will be high in the sky during the eclipse. So long as you have a clear view of the sky, you should be all set!

In 2021, it was a different scenario: the eclipse happened early in the morning as the Sun was rising. For that, we needed a clear view of the eastern horizon.

But for the October 14, 2023 eclipse, anywhere in the city is a good spot.

How to see it?

This is important: to see it you, you'll need a pair of eclipse glasses. Never look at the Sun without proper eye protection.

If you don't have a pair yet, I have them for sale! They ship quickly and they're a great way to help support Plateau Astro.

Buy Eclipse Glasses

• $6.00: 1-pack
• $27.50: 5-pack
• $50.00 10-pack
• also available in bulk orders

These glasses are ISO 12312-2 certified and are safe for looking at the Sun.

Take part in the eclipse experiment

An experiment I'm doing: trying to get people all over the country to take a photo at the same time to show how different it will appear. You can use your eclipses and your phone to do it.

I've created a dedicated page with all the details on how to do it that you can send to other around Canada.

Take part in the experiment

Why you should care about the eclipse

Solar eclipses are a near-spiritual event for me. Here's why:

The Sun is enormous. The Moon is a lot smaller than it.

Yet, when we see the Sun and the Moon in the sky, they appear nearly the exact same size. How can this be if they're vastly different?

The reason is that the Moon just so happens to be the correct distance from the Earth that it appears the exact same size that the Sun does. Isn't that wild?

This wasn't always the case. Millions of years ago, the Moon was much closer to the Earth when it was forming. Almost 17 times closer! Back then, the Moon would have looked enormous in the sky, but eclipses wouldn't have the spectacular appeal they have now.

Millions of year from now, the Moon will be slightly further away, and won't be able to block out the Sun fully. We won't have total solar eclipses then.

Special Time and a Special Place

Earth is the only planet in our Solar System where a Moon perfectly appears the same size as the Sun. What are the odds that it happens to be the one planet with creatures on it that have the mental capacity to appreciate that fact?

And how lucky am I that I get to be in that special time and place.