12 replies to this topic

[Paradoxdb3]

I'm staying in Canada, and want to experience the total Solar Eclipse, whether I get photos or not. I just want to experience the darkness and temperature change and all that comes with a total Solar Eclipse. SkySafari shows that it will get dark for a couple of minutes in Toronto on April 8. If I travel to Toronto, will I be able to experience all of it there? Is SkySafari reliable enough like that? Like, will I see the Sun's corona from Toronto? Thanks in advance!

[SteveInNZ]

No. You'll be just outside totality.

The darkness in Toronto will be unusual and memorable but you won't get the full majesty of totality. That would be like driving all the way to Disneyland and stopping at the parking lot.

Drive a little further to Hamilton for 2 minutes (or on to Niagara for 3-1/2 minutes) of totality.

It's worth it.

 

Steve.

[Paradoxdb3]

No. You'll be just outside totality.
The darkness in Toronto will be unusual and memorable but you won't get the full majesty of totality. That would be like driving all the way to Disneyland and stopping at the parking lot.
Drive a little further to Hamilton for 2 minutes (or on to Niagara for 3-1/2 minutes) of totality.
It's worth it.

Steve.

I looked at Niagara Falls, but couldn't find flights there. Maybe I have to rent a car when I get to Toronto? I plan to arrive at 10am via WestJet and leave at 10pm the same day. It could be tight.... Maybe Air Canada flies to Niagara?

[SporadicGazer]

Xavier Jubier has calculated the eclipse path and automated annotations on an online map.  This is his landing page for the 2024 Eclipse:

 

http://xjubier.free....40408_pg01.html

 

and here is the map zoomed to Toronto:

 

http://xjubier.free....=9&TZ=-4.0&LC=1

 

which shows you would be just outside the path of totality, which passes south of Toronto.  For reference it looks like Buffalo, NY is on the centerline.  Unless you have a boat (or plane) Hamilton looks the closest big'ish city in Canada.  East towards Kingston gets you closer to the center line.  But it looks like the center line stays in the USA until a little patch east of Montreal and then not until New Brunswick.

[Paradoxdb3]

Xavier Jubier has calculated the eclipse path and automated annotations on an online map. This is his landing page for the 2024 Eclipse:

http://xjubier.free....40408_pg01.html

and here is the map zoomed to Toronto:

http://xjubier.free....=9&TZ=-4.0&LC=1

which shows you would be just outside the path of totality, which passes south of Toronto. For reference it looks like Buffalo, NY is on the centerline. Unless you have a boat (or plane) Hamilton looks the closest big'ish city in Canada. East towards Kingston gets you closer to the center line. But it looks like the center line stays in the USA until a little patch east of Montreal and then not until New Brunswick.

I may just have to wait until 2044 to see a total Solar Eclipse right from home. Flights to Montreal don't fly out on the 8th, and I can't really see myself flying all the way to the East coast. Maybe I'll just save my money and spend it on a new camera lens instead. Lol

[SporadicGazer]

I may just have to wait until 2044 to see a total Solar Eclipse right from home. Flights to Montreal don't fly out on the 8th, and I can't really see myself flying all the way to the East coast. Maybe I'll just save my money and spend it on a new camera lens instead. Lol

It's off my beaten path, but it can't be that bad getting from Toronto to Buffalo, NY.  My BIL has family in Buffalo and regularly flies to Toronto and then drives due to better connections.  I understand avoiding the hassle of a border crossing, but Hamilton or any point east of there should be really good! (Assuming it isn't cloudy that day.)

 

Good luck!

 

 

[Paradoxdb3]

It's off my beaten path, but it can't be that bad getting from Toronto to Buffalo, NY. My BIL has family in Buffalo and regularly flies to Toronto and then drives due to better connections. I understand avoiding the hassle of a border crossing, but Hamilton or any point east of there should be really good! (Assuming it isn't cloudy that day.)

Good luck!

It's going to cause more hassle than it's worth. There's just too much going on in my life at the moment. Toronto would have been ideal, as it's fly out, stay a few hours, fly home. Hamilton doesn't have that option. I'll just wait until 2044 and drive two hours to see totality. I'll be 71 years old, so I suspect I'll still be alive. And if I don't get to see it, I hope my daughters will. Even under cloudy skies, it will be obvious the Sun is being blocked.

[SteveInNZ]

The first line from Google is "The best way to get from Toronto to Hamilton is to bus which takes 52 min and costs $10 - $14."

 

We're flying from New Zealand to Las Vegas, driving to Phoenix to then get a flight to Mazatlan in Mexico. This will be our 7th. My prediction is that in 2044, you'll wish you'd caught that bus.

 

Steve.

[mikepier]

It's going to cause more hassle than it's worth. There's just too much going on in my life at the moment. Toronto would have been ideal, as it's fly out, stay a few hours, fly home. Hamilton doesn't have that option. I'll just wait until 2044 and drive two hours to see totality. I'll be 71 years old, so I suspect I'll still be alive. And if I don't get to see it, I hope my daughters will. Even under cloudy skies, it will be obvious the Sun is being blocked.

I would advise not flying on the day of the eclipse. What if the flight gets cancelled? You would want to establish yourself at least 2 days  before the event.

Try to see this eclipse next year. Trust me , it will be worth the hassle. I drove from Long Island NY to South Carolina for the 2017 eclipse, and it was worth it.

[Cajundaddy]

It's going to cause more hassle than it's worth. There's just too much going on in my life at the moment. Toronto would have been ideal, as it's fly out, stay a few hours, fly home. Hamilton doesn't have that option. I'll just wait until 2044 and drive two hours to see totality. I'll be 71 years old, so I suspect I'll still be alive. And if I don't get to see it, I hope my daughters will. Even under cloudy skies, it will be obvious the Sun is being blocked.

Just rent a car and go!  What is it, a 1 hr drive from Toronto to see totality in Hamilton CN?  Seems like a very convenient opportunity if skies are clear.

For reference we are driving 3 days from Idaho to southern TX, camping 3 days, and then driving 3 days back home.  A total of 48 hrs on the road and 9 days to see it.  The difference:  We have seen 2 prior totalities and know how extraordinary these events are.  It seems funny that the moon simply passing in front of the sun for a few minutes should be so interesting but, it is to me.

Just go!  Life is short so eat the cake, take the trip, see the total eclipse.  

Edited by Cajundaddy, 10 November 2023 - 01:30 PM.

[Sebastian_Sajaroff]

I looked at Niagara Falls, but couldn't find flights there. Maybe I have to rent a car when I get to Toronto? I plan to arrive at 10am via WestJet and leave at 10pm the same day. It could be tight.... Maybe Air Canada flies to Niagara?

Fly to Toronto, then rent a car or take a taxi or bus.
It’s not that far but there’s a huge difference between observing a 98% partial solar eclipse and a total one.

[Zhengyi]

I echo what others have said. It is definitely worth the hassle to see next year's total solar eclipse.

However, it could be a bit risky catching a flight back on the same date. The traffic after the eclipse may become chaotic, like we saw in 2017.

[Juniper Hill]

I’m driving from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick to see the eclipse. I’m already looking forward to it.