Due to their efforts, the Queen’s and Kingston communities were ready for the big day.

“On Tindall Field, we were able to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with thousands of people, and the roar of cheers that went up at totality is going to be one of my lifelong memories,” says Rob Knobel, Head of the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics, and Astronomy, who helped lead the university’s preparations for the eclipse. “I'm so proud of the team of Queen’s Eclipse Ambassadors who spread out to 20 sites across the city and region, giving the same experience to visitors and residents alike.”

Queen’s sourced 120,000 pairs of eclipse glasses, providing them free to campus community members and donating over 80,000 to local school boards and to people across the Kingston region for pick up at local public libraries.

Team members also visited more than 80 schools in the Limestone District School Board and Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, teaching students about eclipses, including why they happen and how they have helped researchers advance the understanding of light, as well as how to view the eclipse safely. 

“It was wonderful to have the support of the whole Queen's community, who have been planning for this day for over a year – a collaborative effort that made our educational efforts and the viewing a tremendous success,” Dr. Knobel added.

To learn more about the preparations and research conducted by Queen’s experts, visit the Queen’s Total Solar Eclipse website.

The university also shared the events of the day through its social media accounts, including Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.