View of the 1925 Eclipse from London Free Press

Look up. Way up. But not without your special solar eclipse glasses.

On April 8, 2024 we will experience a near total eclipse over Mississauga. I am sure you have been hearing all about it, and the throngs of visitors who are anticipated to inundate Niagara Falls for the occasion. But what is it all about?

For those less familiar with the phenomenon of solar eclipses, a total solar eclipse is rare. In simple terms (and I really do not understand the complex scientific terms myself), a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, which temporarily obscures our view of the Sun from a portion of the Earth, either totally (a total solar eclipse, such as we will experience on April 8) or partially. In a total eclipse, the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured. Unlike a lunar eclipse, which may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth, a solar eclipse can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world. Although total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth roughly every 18 months, according to NASA they recur at any given place only once every 100 to 410 years.

Studying the 1925 Eclipse, University of Toronto

An eclipse is a natural phenomenon. In some ancient and modern cultures, solar eclipses were attributed to supernatural causes or regarded as omens.

Over our area, our last partial solar eclipse was in 1991, with another notable historical partial eclipse taking place in 1947. A near total eclipse, similar to what we will see on April 8, took place on January 24, 1925. Again, according to NASA, the last total solar eclipse over what is now Mississauga took place on July 18, 1860. Our next expected total solar eclipse will happen on October 26, 2144. Think about that for a moment: 1860, 1925, 2024 and 2144. Total solar eclipses are not a common occurrence and can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

From the Toronto Daily Star, January 23, 1925

Certainly, there are no living memories from the 1860 eclipse – although articles from The Globe newspaper did reference the moment. To put the rarity of the total solar eclipse into a bit of context, notable early colonial settlers in historic Mississauga, including Colonel Peter Adamson (1779-1865), Warren Clarkson (1793-1882), and Jacob Cook (1796-1873), would have born witness to the 1860 solar eclipse. Generations of people have come to call Mississauga home since then.

The Eclipse from The Globe newspaper, August 9, 1860

Today, we do have the luxury of scientific knowledge and study to know more about eclipses, and not to mention greater warnings about how to protect our eyes – and please do listen to the warnings. Because solar eclipses are rare and can be exciting, large numbers of people often try to stare directly at the sun to see the cosmic phenomenon. Despite apparent darkness, the sun is quite dangerous to our vision during a solar eclipse. Solar retinopathy is when solar radiation damages the retina. According to Vision Education, the effects of retinopathy become noticeable after 4 to 6 hours, but they may take as long as 12 hours to appear for some people. The damage is permanent and there is no treatment for solar retinopathy. Please be careful.

There are many ways to safely experience the near solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. For more information on eclipse-related activities, programs and information in Mississauga, click here.

Or plan a visit to the Ontario Science Centre or catch a livestream of the eclipse.

There are a myriad of other ways to observe this cosmic phenomenon as well, and in the process, walk in the footsteps of history.