The moon will slip in front of the sun and create a total solar eclipse visible in some countries on Aug. 12.

However, this time around, the phenomenon will only be partially visible in the United States.

The total solar eclipse will only be seen in areas of Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, Russia and Spain. The path of totality falls across most of Europe and in northwestern Africa, according to NASA.

But for most people, including anyone in the United States, the moon will not completely block the sun during the Aug. 12 event, instead being a partial eclipse.

According to NASA, a partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and earth, but the three are not perfectly lined up. Instead, only a part of the sun will appear to be covered, giving it a crescent shape.

Here’s what to know about seeing the partial solar eclipse, including where it can be viewed.

How to see partial solar eclipse

Because the moon does not completely block the sun during a partial solar eclipse, it is not safe to look directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection, according to NASA.

Instead, to view a partial solar eclipse, people should use solar eclipse glasses that are properly filtered.

In addition, NASA says it is unsafe to look at the sun during a partial solar eclipse through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars or other optical devices without a special-purpose solar filter because the solar rays will burn through the filter and cause a serious eye injury.

Without eclipse glasses, there are alternative options for safely viewing the partial solar eclipse.

One way is to use a pinhole projector, which involves using a cardboard box and tinfoil to create a small opening in order to project an image of the sun. A full tutorial of how to create a safe pinhole projector is available on NASA’s website.

See map of states that could get a glimpse of partial solar eclipse

The partial solar eclipse will be visible in many states across the northern United States, according to Time and Date and NASA.

People in Alaska will get to see the most coverage of the partial solar eclipse at more than 20%. Various cities in New England and New York will also have between 10-20% maximum coverage, per NASA.

The full list of areas, including 26 states and Washington, DC, where people can view the partial eclipse include the following, according to Time and Date:

• 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
• Washington DC
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin

See the map below for states included in the partial coverage area:

See list of eclipse times in cities across the US

The timing of the partial eclipse in the United States varies by city and state.

See a list from NASA below:

This story has been updated.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.