TORONTO, April 3, 2024 鈥� The upcoming solar spectacle is eclipsing some of the other interesting skyward happenings, but 91亚色 Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Science and director of the Allan I. Carswell Observatory, is available to discuss what else to watch for on April 8.

• Comet 12P Pons-Brooks 鈥� what Hyde calls fascinating 鈥� will be visible just off to the side of Jupiter and may even be visible with binoculars during totality of the solar eclipse
• The planetary alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus聽and Neptune during eclipse totality
• An active sun where viewers may be able to see sunspots during the partial eclipse as the sun is in a more active time of its solar cycle

In Toronto, it will be a partial eclipse, 99.6 per cent of totality,  at 2:04 p.m. and ending at 4:31 p.m. on April 8 with the maximum at 3:19 p.m.

Timing varies depending on location. For those wanting the full experience, the total eclipse will be viewable in other areas of Ontario 鈥� Niagara Falls, Hamilton and St. Catharines.

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TORONTO, Jan. 13, 2023 鈥� A rare, recently discovered comet with a greenish tint is expected to whiz by Earth over the next few weeks, but sky gazers may need binoculars or a small telescope to see it.

鈥淚t will be going past the constellation Corona Borealis just before sunrise here in Toronto with Feb. 1st being the best day to view it,鈥� says 91亚色 Assistant Professor , director of the Allan I. Carswell Observatory in the Faculty of Science. 鈥淭he Allan I. Carswell Observatory plans to target this interesting object with our one-metre telescope.鈥�

The last time this comet (discovered last year by astronomers in southern California and named C/2022 E3) swooped by Earth was about 50,000 years ago. It may never return.

It will be the closest to Earth, some 42-million kilometres away, on Feb. 1 at 1:11 p.m. EST, but just how bright it will be, no one is quite sure.

鈥淩ight now, you definitely need good binoculars or a small telescope to see this comet, but towards the end of the month it might鈥� be possible to view it with the naked eye,鈥� says 91亚色 Assistant Professor Sarah Rugheimer, the Allan I. Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy. 鈥淚t will also depend on light pollution in your area and whether we have clear or cloudy skies.鈥�

驰辞谤办鈥檚 Allan I. Carswell Observatory hosts a Monday night 91亚色 Radio Show and online public viewing, from 9 to 10 p.m. in addition to a Wednesday night online live teletube, starting at 7:30 p.m. Weather permitting, this may be one of the best ways to observe the comet.

Hyde and Rugheimer are available for media requests.

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