A total solar eclipse has crossed over parts of Canada, plunging Earth-bound audiences into a moment of darkness and shared celestial wonder.

Eclipse watchers in Pelee Island, Ont., were the first on Canadian soil to see the sun move directly behind the moon around 3:12 p.m. Monday.

Large crowds gathered along the path of totality, which crosses through parts of Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada before being set to exit North America at 3:46 p.m. eastern time.

This celestial dance, in which the moon, the sun and the Earth align, is possible thanks to some miraculous stage setting.

The moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun, but it’s also about 400 times closer to the Earth – making both appear to be the same size in the sky.

Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques said eclipse watchers may glimpse giant solar flares as the sun’s corona encircles the moon’s black disc.

“That’s very interesting for scientists, but I think it’s also very moving for us … it’s one of those rare times when we have a direct connection with what’s going on in space,” said Saint-Jacques, who was part of a 204-day mission to the International Space Station starting in 2018.

“It’s a very direct reminder of the reality of the cosmic ballet, if you want, that’s constantly going on. I think that’s the magic of it – it’s the connection with the cosmos.”

While the next total solar eclipse in Canada is expected to pass through western provinces in 20 years, the phenomenon only happens in any given location roughly once every 360 years by some estimates.

Credit: CP 24