Here are the best spots in Canada to watch next year's once in a lifetime solar eclipse

A once in a lifetime solar eclipse will grace eastern Canada next year, here are the cities with the best view.

On April 8, 2024, a once in a lifetime total solar eclipse will be visible across North America, and those living in southern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will have some of the best views.

The eclipse will stretch from Mexico’s west coast and across Texas and the Midwestern U.S. before finally being visible in Canada.

Depending on where you are, eclipse-watchers will have a clear view of the sun’s corona, or atmosphere, which is usually hidden by the sun’s brightness. The total eclipse can only be seen in North America, from Mexico to Newfoundland, for about an hour and a half.

NASA says “a total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun.”

According to the space agency, the shadow the total eclipse creates as it moves across the earth is called the path of totality, which can stretch between 100 and 115 kilometres wide. Those watching the eclipse outside of the path of totality will be able to see a partial eclipse—when the moon blocks out some of the sun’s light—but they won’t get to see the total eclipse.

The total eclipse only lasts between two and three minutes depending on where you are viewing it from. During the eclipse, the sky darkens, as if it were “dawn or dusk,” NASA says. Additionally, the full total eclipse is easier to see in clear weather, but an “eerie daytime darkness” is still perceptible with cloud cover.

Niagara Falls, Belleville, Kingston and Cornwall are perfect spots to watch the total eclipse from in Ontario. Those who live in London, Toronto, Oshawa and Ottawa may be just out of the total eclipse’s path, but will still have great views.