What time is the solar eclipse on Monday? Your guide to the eclipse in Iowa.

It’s almost time for the partial solar eclipse in Iowa. Are you ready?

This natural phenomenon is certain to be a striking experience for those in the solar eclipse’s path of totality when the moon fully blocks the sun.

Here’s everything you need to know to experience this solar eclipse, including the exact time to view it in your city and where to get proper eyewear to view it.

Will Iowa be in the path of totality for the solar eclipse?

Parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as small parts of Michigan and Tennessee, are expected to be in the path.

Iowa is expected to experience 75% to 90% of the sun covered in the afternoon, meaning it’s still worth your while to step outside and view it.

When is the total solar eclipse?

The total solar eclipse takes place Monday, April 8. Iowa will only experience a partial solar eclipse, in which the moon won’t fully block the sun.

What time is the solar eclipse on Monday?

Well, it depends on where you live in Iowa. In Des Moines, people will be able to see a partial eclipse from 12:43 p.m. to 3:13 p.m. At 1:58 p.m., 84% of the sun will be obscured by the moon, its peak.

The fun begins just one minute later in Ames at 12:44 p.m. until 3:13 p.m. and in Iowa City, three minutes later from 12:46 p.m. to 3:16 p.m.

How to watch the eclipse without glasses

Don’t let your excitement to look up at the sun override safety, Iowans. If you are unable to get a pair of solar eclipse glasses, try viewing the eclipse through these two options using items found in your home. Be aware that neither of these options allow you to look directly at the eclipse.

NASA’s DIY cereal box viewer

Get an empty cereal box and place a white piece of paper or cardboard in the shape of the box’s bottom. Place it inside the box, possibly securing it in place with glue so it doesn’t fall out or move.

Seal the top of the box and then cut rectangles out of each corner of the box, leaving the center of the box’s top intact.

Make sure that center portion is securely closed with tape and not open like you’d have it when you’re pouring a bowl of cereal. Then, cover one of the holes with heavy-duty foil and secure it with tape.

You’ll have one remaining corner still open, and that’s because you’ll use it for viewing.

Use a small nail and push a hole in the foil covered corner.

Lastly, cover the entire box with construction paper, but leave the single-viewing opening and the foil uncovered.

To use it, hold the box with the pin-hole side facing the sun. With your back to the sun, look through the viewing corner you cut out. You’ll be able to see a small image of the sun projected on the white paper you placed inside the box.

Watch this NASA demonstration on how to craft this cereal box projection here:

Another option includes using your kitchen colander. Just stand with your back to the sun and raise your colander, which will project tiny images of the eclipse through the colander’s holes.

More: Forgot to get solar eclipse glasses? Here's how to DIY a viewer with household items.

Mary Walrath-Holdridge contributed to this article.

Will it be cloudy in Iowa during the solar eclipse?

Des Moines has a 20% chance of cloud cover by 2 p.m. on April 8, according to the National Weather Service.

In Fort Dodge, it's 65%, on par with a forecast the NWS published on social media April 8, with clouds focused in northwest Iowa in the morning and possible showers in the afternoon.

You may have better luck if you're in southeast Iowa, or planning to travel there.

That region will have clearer skies in the afternoon, including during the time frame the solar eclipse is taking place, said NWS meteorologist Alexis Jimenez on Friday.

Will Carbondale, Illinois — the closest spot to Des Moines in the path of totality — have clouds?

In the Weather Prediction Center's updated posted Sunday, there looks to be a stretch of southern Illinois, where Carbondale is located, that will have possible cloudy skies at 2 p.m. Iowa time.

More: Solar eclipse 2024: New interactive map reveals historic weather trends for April 8

What type of eclipse is on Monday? What happens during the solar eclipse?

The United States will experience a total solar eclipse on Monday. That occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking the face of the sun, according to NASA. When you’re in the path of totality, or when the moon’s shadow completely covers the sun, then you experience a total solar eclipse.

During this period of totality, you can see the outermost layer of the sun’s atmosphere, or the corona. The sky will grow dark, and that can confuse nocturnal creatures or lead to birds and insects going quiet, USA TODAY reported.

What glasses do I need to watch the solar eclipse?

You need special eyewear to observe the partial eclipse, otherwise you risk retinal damage due to the light from the sun’s surface visible before or after totality as you stare up. Glasses labeled “ISO” ensure the eyewear’s safety and quality.

Find solar eclipse glasses for free or available for purchase at Warby Parker, Hy-Vee and these other stores.

Are there any solar eclipse watch parties in Iowa?

Yes, there will be several across Iowa, including at the Drake Municipal Observatory or Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines, the Pentacrest in Iowa City and McFarland Park in Ames.

When was the last total eclipse in Iowa?

The last total solar eclipse visible across Northern America was on Aug. 21, 2017, according to NASA. Just a sliver of Iowa was in the path of totality then, a 450-acre piece of land in southwestern Iowa. The differences between the 2017 solar eclipse and the one on April 8 include how many more people live in the path of totality in 2024. That, and people viewing the eclipse in Iowa may experience less totality than in 2017.

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse to be seen in the contiguous United States, meaning all the states except Hawaii and Alaska, will be on Aug. 23, 2044, according to NASA.

What happens to pets and animals during the eclipse?

The topic of animal behavior during an eclipse goes far back. During a total solar eclipse in New England in 1932, anecdotal reports claimed many domestic dogs fell silent during the eclipse, horses clustered together and began shaking their heads and tails with anxiety and several species of wild birds such as crows, gulls and sparrows stopped flying and remained silent and still, according to an article in Animals.

More: 2024 solar eclipse may spark behavioral changes in pets, other animals

There are four things that could to happen to animal behavior during the eclipse, said Erica Cartmill, professor of anthropology, animal behavior and cognitive science:

• Animals won't do anything unusual.

• Animals will do evening behaviors. For example, if a dog is used to a bedtime treat, he may go to the kitchen to wait for it.

• Animals will display signs of increased anxiety such as scratching, yawning, circling and pacing or if they are animals that typically flock together, they will start grouping.

• Animals will display unexpected behavior.

Dog owners shouldn't worry about protecting dogs' eyes from the solar eclipse, according to the American Kennel Club.

"That’s because dogs don’t naturally look up or stare at the sun," according to Dr. Jerry Klein, the chief veterinary officer for the AKC. “They know enough not to."

Paris Barraza is a trending and general assignment reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What time is the 2024 solar eclipse? Guide to viewing the eclipse in Iowa