A partial solar eclipse will occur in the Maritimes on Wednesday, followed by the expected peak of a Perseid meteor shower. The eclipse begins around 2 p.m., reaches its peak near 3 p.m., and is over by 4 p.m. The eclipse ranges from as low as 25 per cent in western parts of the Maritimes to as high as 40 per cent for some communities in Cape Breton. Unless you are viewing via solar eclipse glasses or a solar pinhole projector, you are unlikely to notice much. Having a 30 per cent eclipse doesn’t equate to having 30 per cent of the experience of a total eclipse. There is a vast difference between being in the path of totality (100 per cent eclipse) and even just outside it. Solar glasses to view the eclipse should have the ISO 12312-2 safety mark on them. Regular sunglasses are not good enough and you could risk eye damage if staring at the sun with them. The path of totality for this eclipse stretches from Spain northward across parts of Iceland and Greenland. Weather conditions Sky conditions are favourable to spot the sun and partial eclipse in the Maritimes Wednesday. A mix of sun and cloud with some of the clearest conditions are expected in southeastern New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and western areas of Nova Scotia. The afternoon temperatures will be very warm with most highs in the mid-20s. There will be a comfortable amount of humidity. Mind the high UV-index if out in the sun for an extended period of time. The cloud that develops during the day will then dissipate through the evening. That is great news for those hoping to catch some of the peak of the Perseids meteor shower. Perseids meteor shower guide The peak of the Perseids meteor showers is late Wednesday night into the early morning hours of Thursday. Sky conditions during that time are forecast to be mostly clear for the Maritimes. A New Moon with near zero per cent illumination is also a big plus as moonlight won’t interfere with spotting meteors. The best time to view begins around 11 p.m. and extends into the overnight. Find a dark area away from community lights, give your eyes time to adjust to the dark (don’t look at bright phone screens), lie flat on a surface and gaze towards the north and northeast. You’ll need patience, but in past events the Perseids at peak has produced up to 50-to-100 meteors per hour.
