26 States Will See Today's Partial Solar Eclipse

A solar eclipse will sweep across the Northern Hemisphere today, Aug. 12, and while the total eclipse stays confined to Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Portugal and Russia, skywatchers across parts of the northern U.S. and Alaska will catch a partial eclipse later today.

Where and When to See the Partial Eclipse in the U.S.

The moon will pass between the sun and Earth without lining up perfectly, giving the sun a crescent shape rather than blocking it entirely for most viewers. Across the contiguous U.S., the partial eclipse begins at 10:27 a.m. MDT in Montana and North Dakota and ends at 2:52 p.m. EDT in Maine, with the deepest coverage visible across northern New England, according to NASA.

Alaska gets the best view in the country, with more than 20% of the sun covered at maximum. Cities across New England and New York will see 10% to 20% coverage. In total, 26 states and Washington, D.C., fall within today's partial eclipse path: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Safe Viewing Is a Must, and the Perseids Peak Tonight

Because the sun is never fully covered in the U.S., NASA warns it isn't safe to look directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection at any point during today's event. Certified eclipse glasses are the safest option, and NASA also advises against viewing through a camera lens, telescope or binoculars without a special solar filter, since unfiltered devices can concentrate the sun's rays enough to cause serious eye injury. A pinhole projector, made from a cardboard box and tinfoil, offers a safe alternative for indirect viewing.

Skywatchers get a bonus tonight: the Perseid meteor shower peaks this evening into tomorrow morning, giving the U.S. a rare astronomical double feature in a single 24-hour stretch. NASA plans to stream the eclipse live starting at 1:15 p.m. EDT today at nasa.gov/live for anyone outside the viewing path or under cloudy skies.

What's Next

For those in the path of totality overseas, the moon will fully block the sun for up to two minutes and 18 seconds across parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain later today. In the U.S., the next chance at totality won't come until 2033 in Alaska, with the contiguous U.S. waiting until 2044.

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