Look up! Tri-State celestial trifecta includes solar eclipse, meteor shower and planet party
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Wednesday is a big day in space as three major celestial events are happening across the eastern seaboard.
The trifecta includes a total solar eclipse, a massive meteor shower and a special gathering of planets in the morning sky.
Liberty Science Center's planetarium director Mike Shanahan is breaking down what is going on up in the sky and where to look.
Starting with the solar eclipse, the moon will pass between Earth and the sun, blocking the sun.
Many people will remember the big solar eclipse in 2024, but the difference between a partial and total solar eclipse is the difference between night and day.
During a total eclipse, the moon entirely blocks the blazing disk of the sun, causing the land to grow dark.
"It's the most beautiful astronomy experience I guarantee you'll ever have in your life," Shanahan said.
While the Tri-State won't be in totality, we will be in a partial zone -- so what will we be able to see?
"So it's a very shallow partial eclipse from here in the Tri-State area, so at the peak at 1:54 in the afternoon, one-tenth of the sun will be blocked by the moon, so a shallow one, still one worth looking at as long as you have a safe way of viewing it," Shanahan said.
And during the Perseid meteor shower, Earth will pass through debris left behind by a massive comet, creating streaks of light.
Shanahan said the Perseid is the most consistently reliable meteor shower of the year. It peaks in the early hours of the morning on the 12th going into the 13th.
"The moon is a greatest foe of good viewing, so having a new moon is great because you can't see a new moon, it's better to be away from the city, get to a dark location," Shanahan said. "Also it's better from midnight to dawn because then you're facing in towards the comet cloud."
And the planetary gathering means the planets will appear in the same general area of the sky at the same time.
And for anyone interested in picking up glasses to safely view the eclipse, they are available at B&H and at the Liberty Science Center.
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