A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a rare total solar eclipse

On April 8th, 2024, the moon will completely obscure the sun, casting a shadow on Earth and making it dark enough to potentially see the stars. Niagara is one of the few places in North America expected to experience the awe-inspiring beauty of a total solar eclipse, a rarity that won’t occur again in the province until 2099.

Expand your understanding of the cosmos by attending educational exhibits

Engage in captivating educational experiences led by esteemed scientists and experts on a range of topics related to the eclipse. Visit our educational exhibit booths in the Ian Beddis Gym beginning at noon to provide a wide range of scientific exploration of the eclipse.

Solar observations

Safely observe the eclipse through certified glasses and viewing apparatus, such as pinhole projectors and Sun Spotter solar telescopes, with the guidance of experienced staff and faculty. Free certified eclipse glasses will be available (while quantities last) to safely view the eclipse. Participants are encouraged to bring their own should they have them. We also can help you make a pinhole viewer. Just bring your own cereal box/shoebox and we will provide crafting materials while supplies last.

Astronomical insights

Gain valuable insights into the science of eclipses, their historical significance, and their cultural importance throughout the ages. Expand your knowledge of astronomy and the cosmos.

Witness science in action

Scientists will be on hand to conduct experiments and observations during the eclipse. Witness firsthand the valuable data collected for ongoing scientific research. Representatives from the SETI Institute, Niagara Geopark, Niagara College Photonics program and others will be on campus with telescopes and other instruments to gather data and observe the eclipse.

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View or Download the Brock Campus Map of eclipse related events.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOURS DURING A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE 

The Centre of Neuroscience has created an educational poster describing some published observations seen in animal behaviour during the 2017 total solar eclipse in the United States, including some observations made at the Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina. 

CELESTIAL ORIGINS OF THE ELEMENTS   

Offered by the Department of Chemistry, this educational exhibit will address the celestial origins of the elements in the periodic table and how common origins can lead to vastly different properties. Information on how the products of stars end up in all life on Earth will also be shared, as well as how chemical techniques can be used to study the stars without having to leave one’s desk. 

Visitors to the booth will also be able to see/handle samples of some of the pure elements found on Earth, but that started out millions of kilometres away.  

DARK SHALL BY THY SUN: IMAGINING ECLIPSES IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND 

Offered by the Department of English Language and Literature, this educational exhibit will use 17th century poet Hester Pulter’s poem entitled The Eclipse as a jumping off point to explore historical visual, verbal and poetic representations of eclipses. 

GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE MOON 

Offered by the Department of Earth Science and the Brock GeoClub, this educational exhibit will compare the timescales for the Earth and the moon and discuss how the moon appeared from Earth over different time periods. Participants can take a photo of themselves on the moon with the exhibit’s green screen selfie station. 

GEOLOGY OF IMPACT CRATERS 

Offered by the Department of Earth Science and the Brock GeoClub, this educational exhibit will feature an interactive experiment in which participants will make impact craters. Meteorite and rock samples will also be on display.  

INVISIBLE PLANT SYMPHONY: OBSERVING NOCTURNAL CHOREOGRAPHY IN PLANT LIFE DURING THE ECLIPSE USING INFRARED LIGHT  

Offered by the Department of Biological Sciences and the Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering, this educational exhibit will feature a live experiment taking place during the eclipse.  

Oxalis plants are known to display rapid plant movement by retracting their leaves towards the shoot when kept in darkness. It is believed to be an evolutionary response to promote photosynthetic growth during the day and prevent dehydration of the leaves at night.  

Using an infrared thermal imaging camera, the plants will be monitored during the eclipse to see if they will be fooled into thinking they are experiencing a night cycle when the eclipse blocks the sun and turns the afternoon sky dark for three to four minutes.  

The exhibit will feature a poster that explains this photobiology phenomenon, a student talk, and a live video feed of the plant being monitored. 

 IS THE SUN REALLY BENDING SPACE AND EVEN TIME?  

Offered by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, this educational exhibit will discuss the Eddington experiment, which used the total solar eclipse of 1919 to confirm Albert Einstein’s then four-year-old theory of general relativity.  

The eclipse presented a rare chance to verify one of the essential consequences of the theory: the bending of light by gravity. Einstein predicted the stars would appear to change their position when their light passed near the sun. The brightness of the sun normally makes it impossible to see the stars in the daytime, but with a total solar eclipse turning the afternoon sky dark, stars can be seen near the sun with a telescope. 

LUNAR ROVER SIMULATION EXPERIENCE 

Offered by the Department of Computer Science, this educational exhibit will demonstrate a simulation of a lunar rover that follows the physics of the moon. One part of the simulation controls the rover, and the other part controls the moon environment, which is responsible for modelling all the background physics so that object movement is realistic.  

The demonstration is part of Simulation Exploration Experience, which is a NASA initiative involving many international partners. The environment allows researchers and students to design, implement and test simulated environments targeting specific missions and goals. It has the potential to model and simulate celestial phenomena, including the eclipse, as well as the environment for other planets for exploration, analysis and experience.  Event attendees are welcome to bring their own laptops to set up the simulation on their own computer.  

SUPERSTITION VERSUS SCIENCE: ECLIPSES AND THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN WORLD 

Offered by the Department of Classics and Archeology, this educational exhibit will feature ancient accounts of eclipses, including the science of early astronomers. The display will include information on the Antikythera Mechanism, which is a hand-held tool used in Ancient Greece to calculate and display celestial information. 

WHAT IS AN ECLIPSE? MAKE A PINHOLE VIEWER TO VIEW IT SAFELY 

Offered by the Department of Physics, this educational exhibit will include a hands-on activity in which participants can create their own pinhole viewer out of cardboard boxes to view the solar eclipse safely. Information about eclipses will also be shared, including the different types of eclipses and why a total solar eclipse is such a rare sight. Participants are asked to bring in their own cereal box, shoe box or cracker box to create the pinhole viewer.  

GUEST BOOTHS  

In addition to departments across campus offering educational exhibits, several guests will be showcasing their expertise:  

• Niagara College solar spectroscopy 
• Niagara Geopark 
• SETI Institute 
• Space Place Canada 

“Eclipse on the Escarpment” will take place Monday, April 8 from noon to 4 p.m. on Brock University’s main campus. This free community event is open to the public.

Arrive early and park between noon and 2 p.m.

Consider arriving early to beat traffic and secure a parking spot. Paid parking on Brock’s campus is available via the HONK app.  If you have difficulty using HONK, an instructional video and the step by step process can be found here. A Parking Services representative will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Walker Sport Complex (near Hungry Badger as indicated on the (Brock Campus Map of Eclipse Related Events). For in person assistance, Parking Services will be available to process debit/credit cards and cash payments. Consider downloading the app in advance of your arrival to campus to expedite the process. Public transit is also another economical option.

Browse the educational exhibits beginning at noon

Educational exhibits led by Brock researchers, educators and experts will take place in Ian Beddis Gymnasium beginning at noon. See the section on educational exhibits for more details. You can also pick up a free pair of certified solar eclipse glasses in Ian Beddis Gymnasium.

Pick up free solar eclipse glasses from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition to certified solar eclipse glasses being available in the Ian Beddis Gymnasium beginning at noon, Brock community members and event visitors can pick up a free pair of glasses (while quantities last) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at one of several on-campus locations:

• Brock University Students’ Union desk
• Cairns Complex welcome desk
• Rankin Family Pavilion welcome desk
• Thistle Hall, across from the Brock Card service desk at the top of the stairs leading down to Market Hall
• Walker Sports Complex welcome desk

Join us on Alumni Field to witness the total solar eclipse

Following the informational demonstrations and discussions in Ian Beddis Gymnasium, a community viewing of the total solar eclipse will take place on Alumni Field. The maximum eclipse — when the moon is closest to the center of the sun — will occur at 3:19 p.m.

Consider arriving up to 2 hours in advance of the 3:19 p.m. total solar eclipse to avoid traffic. Please monitor your local weather and traffic sources, as well as local government announcements. There is the potential for traffic congestion due to the popularity of the eclipse. We advise using public transportation when possible.

SUN SPOTTERS AND PINHOLE CAMERAS 

For people attending in person, the main way to safely view the eclipse will be through certified eclipse viewing glasses. There will also be indirect methods of viewing available, including Sun Spotters, which project a magnified image of the sun onto a surface for safe viewing. Participants are also welcome to make their own pinhole camera at the Physics educational exhibit. Please bring your own cereal box, cracker box, shoebox or similar sized cardboard box.  

TELESCOPES 

Physics Professor Thad Harroun will be using an intelligent telescope to livestream the eclipse to the Brock University YouTube channel and the BrockTV YouTube channel. 

The livestream will also contribute to initiatives organized by the California-based SETI Insitute and a livestream put on by Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astophysics at the University of Toronto. The University of Toronto livestream will follow the eclipse across Canada, all the way from the Niagara to Gander. A number of physical, meteorological and biological phenomena will be also observed with the telescope for citizen science. 

INFRARED THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS 

Infrared thermal imaging cameras have been used at Brock to study bird and reptile body temperatures, so they are ideal for studying the sun’s radiation we can’t see with our eyes. People and objects (such as the iconic statue of Maj.-Gen. Sir Issac Brock) warm in the springtime sunshine with the sun’s infrared radiation and may cool during the eclipse. Biological Sciences Professor Glenn Tattersall will be using an infrared camera to measure the temperature fluctuations of the statue during the eclipse. 

A second infrared thermal imaging camera will be used by Alonso Zavafer, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and Engineering, to monitor a plant to see if it will close its leaves in response to the onset of darkness and temperature changes during the eclipse as it usually does when experiencing a night cycle. More information on this experiment is available in the gymnasium at the educational exhibits.  

SCIENTIFIC WEATHER STATION  

Representatives from the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies, Kevin Turner, Associate Professor, and Dimitre Iankoulov, Micro Support Analyst/Technician, will have a scientific weather station set up during the eclipse to measure and record the changes in temperature, humidity, and wind speed and direction, alongside shortwave radiation, which is the sun’s energy reaching the Earth each second. Turner utilizes these types of instruments for his research program, which is focused on identifying how lake and river quantity and quality respond to climate and other factors. This type of weather station is typically used to record data the he subsequently downloads for analysis. For this event, Iankoulov has developed an interface, which steams the weather data online in real time. They will also record the data for analysis following the eclipse.

SPECTROMETER 

Niagara College Photonic Professor Alex McGalshen has adapted a spectrometer to a telescope to measure how the radiant energy of the outer layers of the sun differ from the chromosphere (the sun’s main body) once the chromosphere is blocked by the moon. The sun emits electromagnetic energy in many forms, and at the Earth’s surface, it can be measured from the ultraviolet, to visible, to the infrared. The amount of radiation varies by the temperature of the ions in the sun: from 5,000 to 10 million degrees Celsius. 

Brock University  

The livestream will be aired live on Brock’s YouTube Channel as well as BrockTV’s YouTube channel

We will contribute to initiatives organized by the SETI Institute as well as the University of Toronto’s Dunlap Institute.  – Follow Eclipse 2024: Chasing the Shadow from Niagara to Newfoundland

Brock’s eclipse livestream will be displayed on digital screens located in Market Hall and the Walker Sports Complex. 

Time and Date livestream

• Providing livestreams since 2016 by partnering with astronomers across the globe, Time and Date brings you images from the best locations with fascinating commentary. Stream will start at noon eastern daylight time.
• Stream on YouTube

NASA livestream

• NASA’s live broadcast will include coverage from Texas, Indiana, and Ohio.
• The broadcast will provide a front-row seat to the eclipse and will feature NASA experts across the country explaining the science behind the eclipse and how NASA studies it.
• NASA YouTube livestream
• NASA’s Sunsketcher app allows photography of the sun

St. Lawrence Parks Commission livestream

• Not organized yet, but hoping to livestream from Kingston.
• https://www.parks.on.ca/

Solar and lunar cycles in the construction of the Gregorian Calendar

PLEASE NOTE: ExperienceBU registration is only needed for people with Brock accounts. Attendees without Brock emails, members of the community and all others may join us without needing to register. We look forward to seeing you there! 

All About Eclipses

PLEASE NOTE: ExperienceBU registration is only needed for people with Brock accounts. Attendees without Brock emails, members of the community and all others may join us without needing to register. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Looking directly at the sun with the naked eye or through any device or filter other than ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses may cause permanent damage and even blindness.

Sunglasses, regardless of their darkness, are unsafe for eclipse viewing.

Brock University will be providing free certified eclipse safety glasses to view the eclipse safely. They will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis while quantities last.

If you plan to purchase your own glasses, ensure you source authorized vendors meeting the required ISO-12312-2 safety standards for solar filters. Do not purchase from Amazon or other retailers if you are unsure if their product meets safety standards.

An alternative to using eclipse glasses is projecting the sun using a pinhole projector or box projector. You can make these on your own or order them online. A few will be available to use at the Brock solar eclipse event. We can also help you make a pinhole viewer. Just bring your own cereal box/shoebox and we will provide crafting materials while supplies last.

Guidelines on how to use eclipse safety glasses

1. Turn away from the sky and locate your shadow. With your back to the sun, place your eclipse glasses over your eyes, ensuring you cannot see anything through the filters. Be aware of your surroundings.
2. With your eyewear in place, turn towards the sky to locate the now fainter sun. If you struggle to find the sun, avoid removing your eye protection and seek assistance.
3. During full totality (when the sun is totally blocked by the moon, which is about 3 minutes long from 3:18 to 3:21 p.m.) it is safe to briefly remove your eclipse glasses/viewer. Brock experts at the event will advise when it is OK to remove your eclipse glasses. We recommend you put them back on before totality concludes. When in doubt, keep your eye protection on.

Additional information on viewing solar eclipses safely can be found on the American Astronomical Society website, the Niagara Region solar eclipse webpage. and the Niagara Regional Police Service website.

Parking

Parking on Brock campus is paid and delivered through the HONK app. You can download the HONK app before the event to expedite the process. If you have difficulty using HONK, an instructional video and the step by step process can be found here. A Parking Services representative will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Walker Sport Complex (near Hungry Badger as indicated on the (Brock Campus Map of Eclipse Related Events). For in person assistance, Parking Services will be available to process debit/credit cards and cash payments. 

 Paid parking will be available on a first come first serve basis in Lot D and Lot 3 for those attending the eclipse event. If you find these lots to be full, please follow signage to park in Lot 2. Alternatively, you may wish to park in other Paid Parking areas.  As a reminder, fire routes and accessible parking rules are strictly enforced under municipal bylaws.

Please arrive up to 2 hours before the 3:19 p.m. eclipse to avoid traffic delays. Please monitor your local weather and traffic sources, as well as local government announcements. There is the potential for traffic congestion due to the popularity of the eclipse. We advise using public transportation when possible.

Public Transportation

Niagara Regional Transit will operate as usual the day of the solar eclipse. During the time of eclipse totality, busses will pull to the side of the road and pause service for the duration (approximately 3 minutes from 3:18 to 3:21 p.m.).  As a result, riders may experience delays in transportation services. Visit the Niagara Region Transit website for routes and schedules.

GO Transit will also operate as usual. Visit the GO Transit website for up-to-date information.

Traffic Congestion and Emergency Preparedness

The Niagara Regional Police Service have issued important information regarding traffic congestion and emergency preparedness, along with other helpful tips. Please stay aware and informed by visiting the NRPS website,

Brock Library

• The Brock Library has curated a collection of “Cosmic Reads,” which includes books related to  astronomy, outer space and eclipses, and a few eclipse films.

General resources

• Eclipse 2024 resources.com

Maps

• Interactive Google Map from Eclipse2024.org, with link to community pages, videos, and more.
• Interactive map from Time And Date.

About solar eclipses

• Great American Eclipse, covering the October 14, 2023 annular solar eclipse and the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse
• NASA, 2017 total solar eclipse
• NASA, 2024 total solar eclipse
• NASA, Eclipses home 
• Canadian Space Agency, When is the next solar eclipse?
• Britannica, How Do You Tell the Difference Between Total, Annular, Solar, and Lunar Eclipses?  
• Time And Date, How Often Do Solar Eclipses Occur? 
• Eclipse2024.org, Interactive 2024 eclipse simulation map 

Niagara Parks

• Representatives from the Department of Physics will be at the Niagara Parks Power Station from Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7. They will be showcasing eclipse-viewing tools such as a telescope and Sun Spotter, and will lead children in a sun-colour changing activity.

City of Port Colborne

• Representatives from the Brock’s Let’s Talk Science team will be leading eclipse-related hands-on activities at the Vale Heath and Wellness Centre in Port Colborne as part of the City of Port Colborne’s eclipse programming on April 8th. Activities include creating a pinhole camera that can be used to safely view the eclipse, and creating eclipse art that will project crescents during the eclipse. Free eclipse viewing glasses will also be distributed.

District School Board of Niagara (DSBN)

• Representatives from the Department of Physics attended the DSBN’s STEM Day on March 5.
• The Department of Physics is collaborating with DSBN science facilitators, who are filming short informational videos for DSBN teachers. They interviewed two Brock Biology students on their eclipse projects. A second video will be filmed on safely viewing the eclipse.

Solar eclipse event attendees and Brock University community members

You may pick up a free pair of solar eclipse safety glasses on Monday, April 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (while quantities last) at the following on-campus locations: 

• Brock University Students’ Union desk 
• Cairns Complex welcome desk 
• Rankin Family Pavilion welcome desk 
• Thistle Hall, across from the Brock Card service desk at the top of the stairs leading down to Market Hall 
• Walker Sports Complex welcome desk 

Additionally, eclipse safety glasses will  be available in the Ian Beddis Gymnasium from noon to 3 p.m, while quantities last. We encourage attendees to bring their own glasses when possible. 

Operational decisions, such as department/office hours and staff schedules, are at the discretion of the unit lead, department head and/or manager.

Any alternate arrangements for class schedules are at the discretion of the instructor.

MODIFIED OPERATIONAL HOURS

• Learning Services will offer students remote/online tutoring to support the examination period.

• The Brock Campus Store will be open from 10 a.m. to noon.

• Office of the Registrar – Brock Central will close to in-person traffic at 2:30 p.m. The Office of the Registrar and Enrolment Services will also close at 2:30 p.m.  Closure details will be posted with two weeks notice on their website and with signage in Brock Central.