Eclipse mania swept Toronto on Monday, and thousands gathered in public spaces, balconies, and anywhere with a view of the sky to catch the moment that 99 per cent of the Sun was blacked out by the path of the Moon.

While overcast skies did hamper views of the rare celestial event, there was palpable excitement when the skyline darkened just before 3:20 p.m.

Got real dark there outside for a minute, must have been really cloudy! pic.twitter.com/Q2ub30YD2d

— Alex Forgay (@AlexForgay) April 8, 2024

Many took to social media with photos and videos showing how the city looked during these few minutes of darkness.

Downtown Toronto solar eclipse, from Union Station. Despite the clouds, really cool stuff. 3:19 PM. pic.twitter.com/C7DQNA99UU

— Alex Glista 🇨🇦 (@AlexanderGlista) April 8, 2024

People shared photos from all across the city from the peak of the eclipse, as the city was cast in darkness in the middle of the afternoon.

Darkness descends on Toronto. pic.twitter.com/yPR45qLCkM

— Colin D'Mello | Global News (@ColinDMello) April 8, 2024

Many gathered in places like Queen's Park to take in the spectacle.

Let there be light in the darkness at Queen's Park... pic.twitter.com/srtGOH7jzv

— Martin Regg Cohn (@reggcohn) April 8, 2024

Some were underwhelmed by the display, including one traveller in the air over Toronto at the time of the eclipse.

Was that it? pic.twitter.com/oUYF9CBbSl

— Globizen™️ (@globizen) April 8, 2024

Views of the city skyline looked closer to 8:30 p.m. than the true 3:20 p.m.

It got so dark outside. ☁️ pic.twitter.com/2lCpAQvFra

— Justice_Queen ⚖️ 🔰🪬 (@RE_MarketWatch) April 8, 2024

Dark skies in the lead-up to the eclipse's peak looked comparable to the moments before a heavy downpour.

Cloud cover didn't deter the Corktown eclipse watchers. Feels like a storm is about to hit its so dark pic.twitter.com/2yZtWTjXf5

— Anne Marie Aikins (@AMAprmaven) April 8, 2024

One of the hottest spots to view the event was at Riverdale Park East, which, as expected proved a popular vantage point for eclipse-goers.

The crowds at Riverdale Park are getting even bigger for the 2024 SOLAR ECLIPSE #SolarEclipse2024 #Eclipse2024 pic.twitter.com/7mIHv5Nrar

— blogTO (@blogTO) April 8, 2024

Though Monday's 99 per cent coverage proved a spectacle, those looking to see a true total solar eclipse cast Toronto into blackness will have to start eating very healthy, as the next opportunity to see Toronto under totality won't occur until 2144, 120 years from now.