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When to watch the Solar Eclipse in the United States

ByJoe Romano|
Picture taken on February 26, 2017 showing the moon moving to cover the sun for an annular solar eclipse, as seen from the Estancia El Muster, near Sarmiento, Chubut province, 1600 km south of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on February 26, 2017.Stargazers applauded as they were plunged into darkness Sunday when the moon passed in front of the sun in a spectacular 'ring of fire' eclipse. / AFP / ALEJANDRO PAGNI (Photo credit should read ALEJANDRO PAGNI/AFP/Getty Images)
Picture taken on February 26, 2017 showing the moon moving to cover the sun for an annular solar eclipse, as seen from the Estancia El Muster, near Sarmiento, Chubut province, 1600 km south of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on February 26, 2017.Stargazers applauded as they were plunged into darkness Sunday when the moon passed in front of the sun in a spectacular 'ring of fire' eclipse. / AFP / ALEJANDRO PAGNI (Photo credit should read ALEJANDRO PAGNI/AFP/Getty Images)

A solar eclipse will be visible to the United States on Monday August 21st for the first time in almost 40 years.

Various regions of the United States will get prime time viewing of the total solar eclipse. The rest of the country gets at least a partial view of the phenomenon.

The best viewing will take place along what space.com describes as the “path of totality”. This is where the sun is completely blocked out.

"The path of totality for the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse is about 70 miles wide and stretches from Oregon to South Carolina. It passes through Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina."

Various places that fall in the path of totality will be holding eclipse parties and preparing for the event. Or one Waffle House fan on Reddit mapped out all the restaurants in the path. If you are lucky enough to be at a spot in that path you will get the sun completely enveloped by the moon for a maximum of two minutes and 40 seconds. The further away you travel from the center of the path the less time you will get to see the sun totally blocked.

The further you travel or live east the later in the day the eclipse will occur for you. The chart from NASA shows totality for cities along the path.

Eclipse BeginsTotality BeginsTotality EndsEclipse Ends
Madras, OR09:06 a.m.10:19 a.m.10:21 a.m.11:41 a.m.PDT
Idaho Falls, ID10:15 a.m.11:33 a.m.11:34 a.m.12:58 p.m.MDT
Casper, WY10:22 a.m.11:42 a.m.11:45 a.m.01:09 p.m.MDT
Lincoln, NE11:37 a.m.01:02 p.m.01:04 p.m.02:29 p.m.CDT
Jefferson City, MO11:46 a.m.01:13 p.m.01:15 p.m.02:41 p.m.CDT
Carbondale, IL11:52 a.m.01:20 p.m.01:22 p.m.02:47 p.m.CDT
Paducah, KY11:54 a.m.01:22 p.m.01:24 p.m.02:49 p.m.CDT
Nashville, TN11:58 a.m.01:27 p.m.01:29 p.m.02:54 p.m.CDT
Clayton, GA01:06 p.m.02:35 p.m.02:38 p.m.04:01 p.m.EDT
Columbia, SC01:03 p.m.02:41 p.m.02:44 p.m.04:06 p.m.EDT

For those who may not fall on the path of totality, NASA has created an interactive map. You can simply click on your location and find out when and how to view the eclipse.