Julie Bolduc-Duval and Joël Leblanc explain everything you need to know about the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 in their new book

2024-02-24 08:30:00

On the afternoon of April 8, 2024, southern Quebec will be plunged into darkness due to a total solar eclipse, a rare phenomenon that only occurs in a specific location every 375 years. Julie Bolduc-Duval, graduate in astronomy, and Joël Leblanc, science journalist, offer curious readers a book that covers the issue and provides practical information for observing this special event in complete safety: Eclipse: When the sun performs its circus.

Astronomer Julie Bolduc-Duval and science journalist Joël Leblanc published “Éclipse” with Éditions Multi-Mondes. © Éditions Multi-Mondes

Their book is designed as a tool that aims to democratize the understanding of eclipses. As recently as 2017, in the United States, students were forced to remain confined in class, deprived of this unprecedented opportunity to observe an event that some considered too dangerous.

The authors demystify eclipses in their book. They tell of the many scientific discoveries, the erroneous beliefs on this subject, the observations of scientists over the centuries. They point out that Europeans have studied the phenomenon… but that it has also been noticed in China, Iraq, and even in North America, particularly by indigenous populations.

Their book is relevant, interesting, very well popularized. Everything is clearly explained to understand the phenomenon and know the whole history of eclipses over the centuries.

Inform the population

“Our goal was really to democratize the eclipse, so that everyone was aware. It’s such an extraordinary event!” comments astronomer Julie Bolduc-Duval in an interview.

She learned a lot while working on this project. “What fascinated me was how long it took us to understand what eclipses are and be able to predict them. But as soon as we knew what they were, we used them to better understand our world.”

The astronomer, a graduate of the University of Victoria in British Columbia, recalls that the total solar eclipse of April 8 is a rare event. “I experienced that of 2017 and already, I was working in scientific communication. I said to myself: I have to prepare the schools of eastern Canada for this moment!” exclaims the scientist, who has been working on this issue for three years.

“Everyone needs to realize how extraordinary this is going to be, as a moment. I’m going to remember it all my life! I really hope that everyone will be able to experience it in 2024 and that the weather will be nice… but that’s a variable that we can’t control. We’re going to see darkness in broad daylight: it’s still something interesting to experience!”

Indigenous knowledge

The scientist explains that a video will be released soon, about indigenous knowledge on eclipses, with Innu astrophysicist Laurie Rousseau-Nepton. This video will complement the explanations provided in the book Eclipse.

“Eclipses were scary: they were like a monster devouring the sun. In the case of the First Nations, however, it was something positive: it was seen as a rapprochement between a man and a woman,” she says.

“Often, the Sun is the man, and the Moon is the woman, or vice versa, depending on the culture. It was something positive: we gave them their privacy and they didn’t have to look. The issue of not burning your eyes was integrated into the story. I think it’s great! It’s another way of providing knowledge.”

The security issue

Furthermore, Julie reminds us that the most important thing, in terms of safety, is to remember that you should never look at the sun directly, with the naked eye.

“The security issue must not take up all the space, because it is an extraordinary event that we want people to have a chance to experience. It happens once in a lifetime!”

Eclipse: When the sun performs its circus

Julie Bolduc-Duval and Joël Leblanc

Multi-World Editions

156 pages

Joël Leblanc has been a science journalist for nearly 25 years.
He trained in paleontology at Laval University and the University of Quebec at Rimouski.
He produces reports for Québec Science and Radio-Canada radio.
Julie Bolduc-Duval has a degree in astronomy from the University of Victoria, British Columbia.
She worked at the Federal Astrophysical Observatory.
She is dedicated to science teaching in Quebec and works as general director of the program Discovering the Universe.
The Canadian Astronomical Society awarded him the Qilak Prize in 2020 for his exceptional work in training astronomy educators from elementary school to university.

▶ To see maps showing areas where the solar eclipse will be total (the band of totality) and for safety tips: eclipsequebec.ca

“Here is a list of items not to use when viewing an eclipse:

– ordinary sunglasses (even several pairs stacked, because they are designed to see everything, which is dangerous during an eclipse)

– an old CD or DVD

– an old overexposed photo film (so completely black)

– an x-ray

– an aluminized survival blanket

– a package of chips, etc.

These objects can inspire confidence, because the objects in question are both opaque and allow sunlight to pass through, but in fact, they let it pass too much. Seeing the Sun dimmed or not feeling discomfort is really not a guarantee of safety.”