MIAMI – The visibility of the Aug 21 solar eclipse will depend on how clear the skies are.
Some eclipse observers around the country will see the moon completely cover the sun, while others will see the moon only cover it partially.
Observers anywhere in Florida will be able to observe a partial solar eclipse, when the observer's location on earth, the moon and the sun don't line up with precision.
There will be three stages of the eclipse. During the first stage, the moon will start moving over the sun's disk. The second stage will happen when the moon covers a part of the sun's disk. The eclipse will end when the moon stops covering the observer's view of the sun.
The animations below show how the moon's shadow will glide across the globe.
In South Florida, the sky will get darker when the shadow of the moon moves over Illinois, Tennessee, South Carolina and over the Atlantic Ocean.
About 2:57 p.m., observers in South Florida will see the moon cover only about 76 percent of the sun.
This is what a partial solar eclipse looks like:
Those in Florida who travel to certain areas across the country will be able to experience the total solar eclipse.
Where to observe the total solar eclipse
The total eclipse will turn daytime into night for watchers standing directly under the shadow of the moon. The darkness will last for about 2 minutes and 41 seconds.
The moon's shadow will trace an estimated 100-mile-wide path diagonally. It will begin in Oregon at 10:16 a.m. and end in South Carolina about 2:48 p.m.
Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina also have areas that are directly on the path of totality.
- Click here to get the list of events for observers in these states.
The animated map below shows the path of totality of the solar eclipse.