Meteor shower, partial eclipse to be visible in Toronto

Toronto is in for a celestial show today, with both a partial solar eclipse and a meteor shower visible over the city.

The partial solar eclipse began at 12:55 p.m. EST and lasted just under an hour and a half.

However, residents could be forgiven for not noticing much of a change in lighting. This eclipse will only cover a sliver of the sun — far from the near-total solar eclipse that plunged the city into darkness back in 2024.

Poor weather conditions also made seeing the eclipse difficult. “Residents may miss out on the solar eclipse completely with quite a bit of cloud cover and even a chance of rain for southern Ontario this afternoon,” said Global News chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell.

Instead, the path of totality will pass over Europe, with parts of Iceland and Spain witnessing near-total daylight darkness.

Later tonight back at home, the Perseids meteor shower will reach its peak. “Most of the wet weather and clouds will dissipate and move away from the region by late afternoon, making for some great viewing of the meteor shower from midnight until just before dawn,” Farnell said. “This year should be especially good because the peak coincides with a new moon, meaning it will be extra dark, allowing for even the fainter meteors to be seen by the naked eye.”

Stargazers in rural locations will have an advantage due to lower levels of light pollution. Viewers can expect to see between 30 and 50 meteors per hour at maximum, according to the American Meteor Society.

Read more: How to give yourself the best odds to see the solar eclipse and meteors