Many people dread Mondays and the start of the new work week. But there’s something to look forward to next Monday: the Great North American Eclipse. The Moon will completely cover the Sun, turning the sky dark. Tendrils of light will extend away from the Moon — the Sun’s hot outer atmosphere, the corona. If you can find a way to get to the eclipse path, it’s worth the effort.

For this eclipse, the Moon is a little closer to Earth than average. So the period of totality, when the Sun is fully eclipsed, will last for up to almost four and a half minutes along the centerline of the eclipse path.

That path will first touch land on the Pacific coast of Mexico. The lunar shadow will race toward the northeast, and cross into the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas, at 1:27 p.m. Central Time. It’ll cross over such major cities as Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Buffalo. It’ll exit the U.S. at Houlton, Maine, at 3:35 Eastern Time.

Areas outside the path of totality will see a partial eclipse, with the Moon covering only some of the solar disk. The closer a location is to the centerline of the eclipse, the greater the extent of the eclipse.

Remember to look at the Sun directly only during totality. The rest of the time, use eclipse glasses or other protective gear — keeping your eyes safe to enjoy this beautiful cosmic spectacle.

We’ll have more about the eclipse throughout the week.

Script by Damond Benningfield