Partial eclipse in NYC area likened to "Cookie Monster bite" of the sun, but it still wowed young and old

It wasn't a total eclipse, but it was still enough to get a lot of people across the Tri-State Area looking up on Wednesday.

For a few minutes in the afternoon, a partial eclipse, one of nature's biggest shows, played out overhead.

In the New York City area, the event started at 1:07 p.m., with maximum viewing at 1:54 p.m., and ended at 2:38 p.m.

Many of the best places to view totality were uninhabited, or not in North America. Western Iceland and northern Spain were in the path of totality.

Cities like Madrid, London, and Paris saw at least 90% totality.

At the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey, families used eclipse glasses and took turns at special solar telescopes for a safe look at the partial solar eclipse, as the moon passed between the Earth and the sun.

The moon only blocked about 10% of the sun this time, but spectators were amazed anyway.

"It looks like Cookie Monster took a bite," Brooklyn resident Woody Dorcin said, an opinion shared by many who spoke to CBS News New York.

Even with a partial eclipse, experts say events like that can spark a lifelong interest in science.

"And it's just always something new for especially the little kids. They haven't seen the sun because you're not supposed to stare at the sun, and today is one of those rare days where we're like, 'Here, safely stare at the sun,'" the Liberty Science Center's Beth Dry said.

"We're lucky that we're able to see this. We saw it in 2024, and from what I've heard, we're not going to be able to see it again for another 20 years," added Dana Van Dzura of Glen Ridge, N.J.

If you missed the solar eclipse, there will be a partial lunar eclipse in just a couple of weeks, on the night of Aug. 27. You do not need special glasses for that.