A total solar eclipse will occur Wednesday, Aug. 12, when the moon moves between Earth and the sun and completely blocks the sun along a narrow path. Totality will be visible outside the US, but millions in North America will be able to watch a partial eclipse.
NASA says totality will sweep across northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, a small corner of Portugal, and portions of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.
The path of totality is the narrow zone where the moon fully covers the sun, briefly turning daylight into twilight and revealing the sun's outer atmosphere, known as the corona.
NASA says a partial eclipse will be visible across parts of the northern US, including the Northeast and portions of the Mid-Atlantic, as well as most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwestern Africa.
That means some people within Daily Voice's coverage footprint will be able to see the moon partially obscure the sun, even though the total phase will occur far outside the region.
“The farther north and east you are, the more impressive the eclipse will be. The moon will block about 10 percent of the sun in Washington, DC, 19 percent in New York City, and 26 percent in Boston," said AccuWeather Astronomy Expert Brian Lada.
“During the height of the eclipse, it will look like the moon has taken a small bite out of the sun. The sun will not be blocked enough to make it look dimmer outside, so people going about their daily lives may not even know that a solar eclipse is happening Wednesday.”
National Geographic reports the eclipse will reach its maximum at 5:46 p.m. UTC, when totality can last as long as 2 minutes, 18 seconds near the center of the path.
Spain will see the eclipse close to sunset, while Iceland and Greenland will experience totality with the sun higher in the sky.
Viewers well outside the totality zone will still get part of the show.
The eclipse also comes as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. NASA says the shower will unfold under dark skies from a new moon, adding another attraction for skywatchers later that night.
NASA-funded researchers will also chase the eclipse using a WB-57 high-altitude aircraft and scientific balloons. The projects are designed to study the sun's corona and how the sudden loss of daylight affects Earth's atmosphere.
Eye protection is essential for anyone viewing a partial eclipse. NASA says eclipse glasses or safe handheld solar viewers should comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. Ordinary sunglasses are not safe to use when looking directly at the sun.
“For people in North America, Wednesday’s eclipse will be nothing like the total solar eclipse of 2024, but it will still present the rare opportunity to see the moon pass between the Earth and the sun,” Lada said.
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