Past Solar Eclipses & Expeditions

Photo by G. Harper Hall in JRASC.

1932 August 31

A number of RASC members observed this eclipse from Québec.

"A total eclipse of the sun occurred on Aug. 31 in New England and Canada while clouds prevented observation by many astronomical parties inland an clear weather prevailed closer to the coast." (JRASC, Vol. 27, pg. 44)

• Pre-eclipse:
  • Dec. 1930: Path of Totality, JRASC, Vol. 24, pp. 441-2 - R.K. Young.
  • Feb. 1932: Percentage of Sunshine, JRASC, Vol. 26, pg. 78.
  • May-Jun 1932: The 1932 Total Solar Eclipse, JRASC, Vol. 26, pp. 211-216 - A. Vibert Douglas.
  • Jul-Aug 1932: Revised calculations & info, JRASC, Vol. 26, pp. 247-250 - C.A. Chant, James Weir.
  • Jul-Aug 1932: Suggestions to Amateur Observers, JRASC, Vol. 26, pp. 251-6.
• Reports:
  • The Total Solar Eclipse of 1932 JRASC, Vol. 26, pp. 337-44 - G. Harper Ball.
  • Report at Magog, Que. JRASC, Vol. 26, pp. 387-90 - C.B. Hutchings.
  • RASC Expedition, JRASC, Vol. 26, pp. 425-436 - J.R. Collins.
  • Weather observations, JRASC, Vol. 27, pp. 34-48 - A. Norman Shaw.
  • Photo: Approaching Shadow, JRASC, Vol. 27, pg. 49 - J. Whitehouse.
  • Report: (with pictures), JRASC, Vol. 27, pp. 177-180 - E. Cambron, S.J..
  • Boy Scout Observations, JRASC, Vol. 27, pp. 201-209 - E. Russell Paterson.
  • Note on Reports, JRASC, Vol. 27, pg. 210 - A. Vibert Douglas.
  • Note on Observations JRASC, Vol. 27, pp. 359-362 - A. de La Baume Pluvinel and D. Barbier
  • Boy Scouts, JRASC, Vol. 29, pp. 32-33

See also: 1932 solar eclipse image gallery archive.

Photo by Joseph Sketchley.

1963 July 20

A number of RASC members took part in an expedition by train to Wivenhoe, Manitoba to view this eclipse; many others observed from Québec.

• Pre-eclipse:
  • The Total Solar Eclipse of... JRASC, Vol. 57, pp. 9-13 - Dominion Observatory Ottawa.
  • An Observation Programme for... JRASC, Vol. 57, pp. 49-50 - Isabel K. Williamson.
  • CN News Eclipse Special (1 page, 1.11 MB PDF)
  • Photo Tips (1 page, 132 KB PDF)
  • Announcement (JPG, 192KB), R.V. Ramsay
  • Bulletin 1: Page 1 (JPG, 398KB)
  • Bulletin 2: Page 1 | Page 2
  • Bulletin 3: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5
  • Bulletin 4: Page 0 | Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
  • Bulletin 5: Page 1 | Page 2
  • Observation Forms:
    • Solar Eclipse Report Form
    • Visual Observation of Corona or Prominences
    • Report on Stars Visible During Totality
    • Report Form for Photographs: Front | Back
  • Bulletin 6: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3
  • Bulletin 7: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3
  • Bulletin 8: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
  • The Eclipse Special (train to Grand'mere)
• Reports:
  • Operation Eclipse--1963, JRASC, Vol. 57, pp. 241-52 - J.L. Locke, J.E. Kennedy, et al.
  • Radio Observations, JRASC, Vol. 60, pp. 215-20 - A.E. Covington, W.A.G. Kennedy, H.P.A. Gagnon.

See also: 1963 solar eclipse image gallery.
Text versions: Other Bulletins in the RASC Comet/Nova archive.

1970 March 7

• Report: JRASC, Vol. 64, pp. 242-49 - T. Cairns, P. Moffat, J. Newton, J. Scatliff, J. Steffensen
• Reports published in NNL June 1970 (87kb):
  • Elizabeth City, North Carolina (Montreal/Ottawa Centres)
  • Jasper, Florida, USA (Toronto/Hamilton)
  • Halifax, Nova Scotia (U of NB Physics Club)

1972 July 10

• Pre-eclipse:
  • Aug. 1970 (87kb) - Si Brown.
  • Dec. 1970 (63kb) - Si Brown.
  • Feb. 1971 (56kb)
  • Apr. 1971 (72kb)
  • JRASC, Vol. 65, pp. 107-18 - V. Gaizauskas, L.W. Avery, F.D. Manning.
  • Aug. 1971 (64kb) - J. Findlay.
  • Feb. 1972: A Suggested Eclipse Experiment (93kb) - Brian K. Dennison, Gary L. Sego.
  • Apr. 1972: More Eclipse News (49kb)
  • June 1972: Observations Planned Near the Edges of the Path... (84kb) - David W. Dunham.
• Reports:
  • The Eclipse of July 10th (56kb)
  • NNL October 1972 (88kb):
    • A Fantastic Total Eclipse - Marie Litchinsky.
    • The Toronto Centre Eclipse Expedition - B.R. Chou.
    • Eclipse-72 over the Northwest Territories - John Scatliff.
    • Solar Eclipse July 10 from Prince Edward Island - B.F. Shinn.

1979 Febrary 26

• Pre-eclipse:
  • The Total Solar Eclipse of 1979, February 26 - William T. Peters (2.75 MB)
• Reports:
  • NNL, June 1979 (379kb):
    • Photos - Damien Lemay, David Levy
    • Eclipse from Above - Roy Bishop
    • The February 26, 1979 Eclipse - David Levy
    • Eclipse de Soleil du 26 fevrier 1979 - Damien Lemay
    • The Total Solar Eclipse - David Roger
    • Totality 1979 – Looking Back - from Saskatoon Centre newsletter
    • Photometric Experiment - Merlyn Melby
    • Flash Spectrum Experiment - Mike Wesolowski
  • Manitoba College Leads Eclipse Expedition - Harlan Creighton
  • Transair Passengers see Eclipse
  • Regulus, March 1979 - various Kingston Centre members (40kb)
  • Regulus, April 1979 - Mike Kennedy, David Levy (90kb)

1991 July 11

• Information Circular (274kb) | Text
• Release Form (178kb) | Text
• Predictions for the Total Solar Eclipse of 1991, JRASC 83,157 - Fred Espenak.
• RASC Expedition Updates:
  • 1990 July (192kb) | Text
  • 1990 November (83kb) | Text
  • 1991 March (296kb) | Text
  • 1991 May (711kb) | Text
  • 1991 June (235kb) | Text
  • 1991 July 10 (268kb) | Text
• Quiz (97kb) | Text
• Observing Log (245kb) | Text

• Reports:
  • Bulletin, Oct. 1991, pg. 4 (2.99MB):
    • The RASC Eclipse Expedition - Dan Falk (Halifax Centre)
    • An Encounter with Totality - Bruce W. Shier (Calgary Centre)
    • Trip to Totality: One Person's Experience - Ulrich Haasdyk (Calgary Centre)
  • Regulus, Sep-Oct 1991 (186kb) - Leo Enright (Kingston Centre)