Well, that was trippy
I agree with the comments below that the eclipse was beautiful and otherworldly. There was a quality of light I’d never seen before. I’d expected totality to bring down darkness like a black velvet curtain, but it didn’t.
I wasn’t planning to photograph the sky, because I wanted to experience the event unmediated by technology, and I don’t have the proper equipment anyway. But I was on a rooftop near Jean‑Talon metro station, four storeys up, and as the eclipse descended over the city it was truly magical and I took one shot. This is just a phone photo.
Myles 18:24 on 2024-04-08 Permalink
I was excited for it, bought glasses far in advance and all that, but I was completely unprepared for how spectacular it was to see the sun’s corona at totality. I had always assumed pictures of it were embellished a little in editing!
Ian 18:40 on 2024-04-08 Permalink
The weird desaturated quality was a real surprise for me, too. One of my friends thoguht it looked almost sepia toned, and opined that perhaps we were in a flashback sequence 😀
Mozai 19:03 on 2024-04-08 Permalink
I knew to expect the desaturated look of the city from the partial eclipse in Montreal a few years ago. This is the first time I’ve seen “the black sun” of a total eclipse and it was haunting.
carswell 19:21 on 2024-04-08 Permalink
Still in awe of the experience. Totality is so different from a partial eclipse. The quality and colour of light was unique and the corona — safe to view without glasses during the minute or so of totality — jaw-dropping.
Pressed for time, I’d been planning to go to the promenade in front of the UdeM’s pavillon principal but from my rooftop could see and hear a crowd assembling and a party atmosphere reigning by 15:00, so I stayed put. In the moments before totality, the yelling and applause reached a loud climax and then… stunned silence. A couple of male cardinals launched into their evening song ritual and a dog began barking, but all creatures fell silent during the totality.
Unexpected was seeing the edge of the path of totality — a line sharper and straighter than any caused by clouds — sweep in from the (Montreal) west-northwest and over Mount Royal.
carswell 19:38 on 2024-04-08 Permalink
Also, the veil of clouds ended up not being a disaster: thin enough not to interfere with appreciation of the event, including the corona, but also, from where I was standing, producing a rainbowish halo at a distance of (guessing) 15 or 20 degrees around the darkened sun. Magical.
TC 21:35 on 2024-04-08 Permalink
You took your shot. It caught the moment. Thank you.
azrhey 09:22 on 2024-04-09 Permalink
I was in Magog and it was stunning as everyone else said. We had over 3 minutes so real time to look around and what was the strangest for me ( besides the show in the sun ) was the darkness above but light sky 360 all around the horizon. We are so used to have one part of the sky dark and the other light for sunrises and sunsets have light sky all around and a done of darkness above was really eery!
azrhey 09:23 on 2024-04-09 Permalink
oh yes, and it took us 2h15 to get there from VSL on sunday morning and a total 5h30 to make it back last evening.. the ONE TIME being stuff in traffic was worth it!
kb 09:56 on 2024-04-09 Permalink
We went to the AstroLab on Mont-Megantic. It was such a fun atmosphere – they brought out all their different telescopes so everyone could try them, and so many people came with their own telescope set-ups, and were happy to let people look in those as well.
Not a single cloud, and 3 minutes of totality! And unlike azrhey, there was really no traffic coming back home.
jeather 11:21 on 2024-04-09 Permalink
I was near the rapids in Lachine and it was fantastic. The looks like sunset, the weird wind changes, the really sudden temperature change right at the beginning and end of totality, the diamond ring image, the oddly shaped shadows. Sadly the trees were too bare so I just used a colander for that one.
Neither the ducks nor the geese acted more oddly than ducks or geese ever do.
nau 13:57 on 2024-04-09 Permalink
It really was marvelous. The temperature change was the most unexpected for me and started well before totality. I was surprised to feel not only excitement but immense good fortune to be able to experience the eclipse and in such ideal conditions. The daytime fauna didn’t seem to react much, but it definitely confused the bats, who came out for a couple turns.
Kate 12:41 on 2024-04-10 Permalink
Yes! We also noticed the change of temperature and winds.
Tee Owe 15:45 on 2024-04-10 Permalink
Speaking as one who wasn’t and couldn’t be there, I am deeply envious – thanks for your accounts, treasure your memories – lucky you all!