A total solar eclipse is expected on Monday, April 8 - the first one in seven years to pass over the U.S. However, Northern
California is not in the best position to see the total eclipse, but people can still get a partial view. Here's what you need to know: A total solar eclipse is when the
moon passes between the earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun. According to
NASA , the sky will darken like it was sunrise or sunset. "Every total solar eclipse is worth seeing because they're all different, every one is a surprise," Griffith Observatory Director Dr. Ed Krupp said. "It is the most spectacular thing that the sky does you can see with the unaided eye." The path of totality will stretch from Mazatlán, Mexico, to Newfoundland, Canada, according to the Griffith Observatory . NASA says the solar eclipse will begin at 11:07 a.m. PDT in
Mexico and then enter the U.S. in
Texas. The eclipse path will then travel through Oklahoma, Arkansas. Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio,
Pennsylvania,
New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will then enter
Canada in Southern Ontario and end in Newfoundland Canada at 12:46 p.m. PDT. RELATED: Where to watch total solar eclipse in Bay Area According to NASA, the solar eclipse totality will last about four minutes. However, the amount of time from the beginning to the end, meaning when the moon starts its path in front of the sun to when it completely moves past the sun, depends on the location. Overall, the process will take more than two hours. California is not in the path of the total solar eclipse. But the West Coast will see parts of the eclipse. "If you're paying attention, you'll probably sense a little bit strangeness in the light," Krupp said. "It'll be a little off, not a lot. But, if you're able to watch it directly, you can see this operation of Newton's gravity happening right in front of your very eyes." In the
Los Angeles area, people will see 48.6% of coverage of the sun, according to NASA . The process will begin just after 10 a.m., reach the peak at 11:12 a.m. and end at 12:21 p.m. In the Bay Area, people will see 35.9% of coverage of the sun. The process will begin just before 10:15 a.m., reach the peak at 11:13 a.m. and end at 12: 16 p.m. It is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. Even looking at the sun through a camera lens, binoculars or a telescope without a solar filter will instantly cause severe eye injury, according to NASA . Regular sunglasses are also not safe for solar viewing. The only safe way to view the sun is with solar viewers, which are thousands of times darker than sunglasses and comply with the ISO 12312-2. You can find a list of safe solar viewers here .