On Aug. 12, the moon's shadow will sweep across Greenland, Iceland and Spain in one of the most dramatic total solar eclipses in years. But here's the good news: You don't have to cross the Atlantic to be part of it.

Two American states — Maine in the Northeast and Alaska in the far Northwest — will experience the most significant partial solar eclipse visible anywhere in the United States that afternoon, with up to 43% of the sun obscured, depending on where you're standing.

And the skywatching doesn't end there. Just hours after the eclipse wraps up, the night sky will ignite with the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower — one of the most reliable and spectacular of the year. If you're willing to get yourself somewhere dark on Aug. 12, you're looking at one of the best single-day and night combos in years.

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One firm rule before we go any further: a partial solar eclipse is never safe to view with the naked eye. No matter how large the obscuration, the sun's exposed surface is still intensely bright and damaging to your eyes. Use certified eclipse glasses or an approved solar filter at all times during the eclipse. If you have leftover glasses from the April 2024 total solar eclipse, inspect them carefully before use — hold them up to a bright light and check for any pinholes, scratches or deterioration.

Alaska: The deeper eclipse, with a catch

Alaska gets the better numbers. The moon will cover significantly more of the sun here than anywhere in the Lower 48, but there's a major asterisk, and it has nothing to do with the eclipse itself.

Alaska's partial eclipse runs from approximately 7:34 a.m. to 9:31 a.m. AKDT, wrapping up well before most people's second cup of coffee. That's a morning event, which means you'll need to be up, outside and in position early. More critically, Alaska's average August cloud cover is high across virtually every city on the list, and that's the single biggest threat to your view.

Here's how the state's major cities stack up:

Nome — 42.85% obscuration | Max: 8:25 a.m. AKDT | Avg. cloud cover: 80%

Nome offers the deepest partial eclipse of any American city in the data, with nearly half the sun covered at maximum. On paper, it's the top spot in the country. In practice, it comes with real challenges. Nome is remote, accessible only by air or sea, and its average August cloud cover of 80% means that four out of five days, you can expect clouds to interfere. Flights from Anchorage run regularly but aren't cheap, and accommodation options are limited — book as far in advance as possible if you're committed to making the trip. If the sky cooperates, it could be a nice view, but you're playing against the odds.

Fairbanks — 36.86% obscuration | Max: 8:27 a.m. AKDT | Avg. cloud cover: 73%

Fairbanks is a more practical choice for skywatchers chasing Alaska's eclipse. It has much better tourist infrastructure than Nome, with hotels, accessible roads and a regional airport with connections from Anchorage and Seattle. The cloud cover is still a concern at 73%, but Fairbanks sits in Alaska's interior, away from the moisture-laden coastal weather systems that plague cities like Juneau and Yakutat. Its inland position gives it a slight but meaningful edge in weather odds over most of the state. After the eclipse, Fairbanks also offers some of the darkest skies in the U.S. for Perseids watching — the city sits well away from major light pollution sources, and its clear interior air (when the weather cooperates) can make for stunning meteor views.

Anchorage — 27.86% obscuration | Max: 8:21 a.m. AKDT | Avg. cloud cover: 71%

Anchorage is the easiest Alaska city to reach, featuring direct flights from dozens of U.S. cities, full hotel infrastructure and easy access to open viewing sites. The eclipse obscuration is meaningful at nearly 28%, and the cloud cover at 71%, while still high, is slightly better than Fairbanks. The tradeoff is that Anchorage sits in a coastal basin prone to overcast mornings. If you're flying to Alaska specifically for this eclipse, Anchorage makes the most logistical sense as a base, but consider having a backup plan to drive inland if forecasts look unfavorable in the days before the event.

Maine: A lunchtime eclipse and dark skies after dark

Maine's situation is almost the mirror image of Alaska's. The eclipse here will be less dramatic in terms of obscuration, topping out around 28% in the state's far north, but it will unfold on a Wednesday afternoon in peak summer in one of the most accessible and scenically beautiful corners of the northeastern U.S. And when the eclipse ends, Maine's relative darkness compared to the rest of the Northeast makes it one of the better Perseid destinations east of the Mississippi.

Maine's partial eclipse runs from approximately 12:47 p.m. to 2:52 p.m. EDT, a convenient midday window that requires no pre-dawn alarms.

Presque Isle — 28.26% obscuration | Max: 1:50 p.m. EDT | Avg. cloud cover: 60%

Presque Isle is the standout on the Maine list. It has the highest obscuration in the state and, critically, the best average cloud cover of any city on this list at 60%; still not ideal, but meaningfully better than much of Alaska, and better than most of coastal Maine. Located in Aroostook County in Maine's remote far north, Presque Isle sits in an agricultural region with wide-open horizons and very little light pollution. It's not a tourist hub, which actually works in your favor here — no crowds, easy parking and unobstructed views. If you're serious about maximizing both eclipse coverage and weather odds in Maine, this is your destination.

Bangor — 23.63% obscuration | Max: 1:53 p.m. EDT | Avg. cloud cover: 53%

Bangor is the practical sweet spot on the Maine list. It offers the second-highest obscuration in the state, sits at the intersection of major highways, has a regional airport and provides easy access to both inland and coastal viewing sites. Its average cloud cover of 53% is the best of Maine's more accessible cities. Stephen King's hometown isn't typically on eclipse-chaser itineraries, but on Aug. 12, it deserves a serious look. After the eclipse, a short drive north or west puts you in genuinely dark sky territory for the Perseids.

Augusta — 21.30% obscuration | Max: 1:53 p.m. EDT | Avg. cloud cover: 47%

Augusta is worth a closer look for one reason: Its average cloud cover of 47% is the best of any city on either state list. Maine's capital sits inland, away from the coastal marine layer that drives up cloud cover in Portland, Kennebunk and Wells. Eclipse obscuration is solid at just over 21%, and the afternoon timing is convenient. If your primary concern is finding the clearest possible sky, Augusta's numbers are the most encouraging in the dataset.

Portland — 19.45% obscuration | Max: 1:53 p.m. EDT | Avg. cloud cover: 54%

Portland is Maine's largest city and its most visited, with a thriving food scene, easy highway access from Boston and New England, and proximity to Acadia National Park. Eclipse obscuration is nearly 20% — not the highest on the list, but still a visually engaging event with proper eclipse glasses. The 54% average cloud cover is a real concern, as Portland's coastal position makes it prone to marine clouds and sea fog in August. That said, Portland's infrastructure makes it the easiest base for a trip that combines eclipse viewing with a broader Maine experience. Plan to drive 30 to 40 minutes inland if coastal clouds roll in.

Lewiston, Kennebunk and Wells — 18–20% obscuration | Avg. cloud cover: 53–54%

These three cities offer similar eclipse coverage in the 18 to 20% range with nearly identical cloud cover statistics hovering around 53 to 54%. Lewiston is an inland city with somewhat better cloud odds than the coast; Kennebunk and Wells are classic southern Maine coastal towns with beautiful beaches but higher fog risk. None of them stand out as destination choices purely for the eclipse, but if you're already in the area on Aug. 12, any of them will give you a worthwhile view — provided the sky cooperates.

Don't forget the Perseids

Once the eclipse ends, the celestial opportunities will be far from over. The Perseid meteor shower peaks on the night of Aug. 12–13, making this one of the rare occasions where a single day offers two significant skywatching events.

The Perseids are reliably one of the year's best meteor showers, capable of producing 50 to 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. The radiant (the point in the sky from which meteors appear to originate) rises in the northeast after dark and climbs higher through the night. Peak activity typically comes after midnight.

For Maine viewers, the eclipse's afternoon timing means you have a full evening to position yourself somewhere dark before the show begins. Presque Isle and the interior of Aroostook County offer some of the least light-polluted skies in the eastern U.S. Baxter State Park, while requiring advance planning for entry, is among the darkest accessible locations in the entire Northeast.

For Alaska viewers, the eclipse wraps up before 9:30 a.m., leaving the entire day free. Fairbanks in particular is well-positioned for Perseid viewing — its interior location and low ambient light levels make for excellent conditions, and in mid-August, astronomical darkness arrives by around 11 p.m. local time. Just bring layers; August nights in Fairbanks can drop into the 40s.

One practical note: peak Perseid night is one of the busiest nights of the year at popular campgrounds and state parks across the country. If you're planning to camp for the meteor shower, book now.

The bottom line

For Americans who want to participate in the Aug. 12 eclipse without flying to Europe, the choice comes down to what kind of trip you want. Alaska offers the deeper eclipse — particularly from Nome and Fairbanks — but demands more planning, higher travel costs and a willingness to gamble against persistently cloudy skies. Maine offers a more modest eclipse in a far more accessible setting, with Augusta and Presque Isle standing out for their relatively favorable cloud cover statistics and the state's dark-sky bonus after dark.

Wherever you end up, remember: the partial eclipse is only one piece of a larger global event. While you're watching the moon take a bite out of the sun over Bangor or Fairbanks, observers in Spain will be standing in full totality, watching the corona blaze around a black disk. You're part of the same shadow, just from a different angle.