Solar events visible in Iowa

Iowa stargazers might get a rise out of two celestial events today. A partial solar eclipse will be visible over the Hawkeye State. It started around three this afternoon and should peak at 3:50 and end by 4:30. University of Iowa astronomy professor Steven Spangler says it’s not a total eclipse.It’ll only be a partial eclipse here, about 20-percent of the sun will be covered by the moon. People in Ecuador are going to get the best show, with what’s called an annular eclipse — it won’t be a total eclipse either though. Something else going on, the Geminid meteor shower peaked last night but Spangler says it’ll still be spitting stars tonight over Iowa.Go out about 9 or 10 and look east to find a bright object, the planet Jupiter, in the constellation of Gemini. That’s where the annual meteor shower is happening tonight and for the next several nights. Spangler says there should be a decent show tonight, if it’s not cloudy.At best in this shower, you can see up to 100 shooting stars an hour, but tonight, he says Iowans may only see one every few minutes or about 30 an hour.