PELHAM – The Pelham Public Library is hosting a solar eclipse viewing party on Aug. 21 on the front lawn of the library.

The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will include games and arts and crafts for children and refreshments for adults. Eclipse glasses, which block sunlight as well as ultraviolet and infrared radiation, will be available to those who sign up for the event prior to Aug. 21. A limited number of glasses are available.

A total solar eclipse will cross the continental United States on Aug. 21. A total solar eclipse occurs when the earth, moon and the sun align and the disk of the moon appears to completely cover the disk of the sun. The last time a total eclipse crossed the United States from sea to sea was June 8, 1918.

In the U.S., millions are expected to gather along a tiny ribbon less than 100 miles wide to see a total solar eclipse, which will reveal the solar corona. The rest of the country will be able to see a partial eclipse.

According to an eclipse schedule from NASA, the solar eclipse will begin in Pelham at noon. A solar eclipse with 94 percent coverage of the sun will occur at 1:31 p.m. and the eclipse will end at 2:58 p.m.

The 2017 eclipse, in either total or partial phase, can be seen by over 500 million people in North and South America, Europe and Africa.