A partial solar eclipse shines in the skies over Manila Bay in the Philippines in January 2009. Observers on the U.S. East Coast could see something like this if they have a clear view to the eastern horizon at sunrise on Sunday. A total eclipse could be seen along a narrow strip of the planet passing over the Atlantic and Africa. Aaron Favila 
 
 Got eclipse glasses? If you're on the East Coast of the U.S., you might want to get 'em — so you can try catching a glimpse of a solar eclipse at sunrise on Sunday. 
 
 And no matter where you are, you'll want to be watching the Web as well — so you can catch the show when it's totally at its best. 
 
 Sunday's eclipse is a strange one, known as a hybrid. Millions of observers on the eastern edge of the America, in southern Europe and nearly all of Africa have the potential to see a partial eclipse. Over a narrow strip of the western Atlantic, there'll be an annular eclipse, with a tiny portion of the sun's disk remaining visible as a "ring of fire." But as time goes on, the eclipse will turn total: Skywatchers along a thin band of African territory, stretching from Gabon to Somalia, could see a completely blacked-out sun. 
 
 Only 5 percent of all eclipses are annular-total hybrids. The most recent one occurred back in 2005. All solar eclipses involve the moon getting right in front of the sun and casting its shadow on our planet. But here's why Sunday's hybrid eclipse is special: During the course of the day, the moon's distance from the spot where its shadow falls on Earth changes just enough to make the transition from leaving some of the sun exposed, to covering up the entire disk. 
 
 For detailed information about the eclipse's track, check out Eclipse-maps.com, NASA's eclipse website and this interactive eclipse map from Xavier Jubier. 
 
 The partial phase of Sunday's solar eclipse can be seen over a wide swath of the world, but the annular-total phase is visible only along a narrow track. The eclipse begins as a "ring of fire" annular event, but turns total by the time the moon's shadow reaches the African coast. 
 
 In the partial eclipse zone 
 
 For East Coasters and others in the partial-eclipse zone, here's the important thing: Don't gaze at the sun without proper eye protection. 
 
 
 
 You can buy special eclipse-viewing filters at planetariums or science centers. You can look through No. 14 welding glass. You can make a "pinhole camera," hold out a colander or knit your fingers together to create projected images of the crescent sun. You can hook up with a local astronomy club that has the proper viewing gear. But trying to see a partial solar eclipse with unprotected eyes will just lead to vision problems. 
 
 Technically speaking, the partial eclipse could be visible as far inland as, say, Tennessee. Sky & Telescope projects that 57 percent of the sun's diameter could be covered over at sunrise in Boston, 48 percent in New York, 44 percent in Philadelphia, 35 percent in Washington, and 36 percent in Miami. But you'd have to have a clear view of a flat horizon — and no matter where you are on the East Coast, the partial eclipse will be over within an hour after sunrise. (Use this TimeandDate.com calculator to find out when the sun rises in your locale, and remember that daylight saving time ends on Saturday night.) 
 
 Watching it online 
 
 All these issues about logistics and safety go away if you're watching the eclipse online. And unless you're in Africa, the only way you'll see totality in real time is via the Web. 
 
 Totality is well worth witnessing: When the sun's disk is fully covered, the delicate outer solar atmosphere — known as the corona — can be seen gleaming against the black sky. The total phase will be relatively short on Sunday, lasting somewhere between a second and a minute or so. 
 
 The Slooh virtual observatory plans to broadcast video feeds from telescopes in Gabon, Kenya and the Canary Islands. Slooh's host and technical officer, Paul Cox, has joined an expedition to Kenya and will be participating in three and a half hours of live coverage beginning at 6:45 a.m. ET Sunday. You can also watch the show via Slooh's iPad app. 
 
 “This will be the most difficult eclipse we’ve covered at Slooh over the years," Cox said in a news release. "Our expedition will be made in a series of 4x4 vehicles carrying our delicate observation equipment across some of the harshest terrain in Africa. After three days across country, we’ll be setting up camp near the home of the largest population of crocodiles in the world — Lake Turkana." 
 
 Slooh's show will feature commentary from Cox as well as astronomer Bob Berman, documentary filmmaker Duncan Copp and other guests. Viewers can email questions in advance to coxy@slooh.com, or tweet questions to the panel during the broadcast using the Twitter hashtag #solareclipse. The eclipse should reach totality at Lake Turkana around 9:25 a.m. ET. 
 
 Another expedition is setting up on the shores of Lake Turkana with backing from BRCK, an African venture that produces Internet connectivity devices. BRCK's team members are planning an eclipse webcast, and they're already posting updates on the operation to Twitter, Flickr, Instagram and the Web. 
 
 More TV coverage may be available via Gabonese television, Kenya's KTN or other African outlets. And after the eclipse is over, there should be lots of great images to see on SpaceWeather.com. Did you snap a picture? Share it with us via the NBC News Facebook page or tweet it with the hashtag #NBCeclipse. 
 
 More about solar eclipses: 
 
 Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the NBC News Science Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding +Alan Boyle to your Google+ circles. To keep up with NBCNews.com's stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds. ||||| Story highlights Northern California gets a clear view of the ring of fire 
 
 Tokyo residents enjoy spectacular scenes, but clouds mar Hong Kong viewings 
 
 More than 80% of the sun was blocked during the eclipse 
 
 The shadow of the moon swept across the globe from Hong Kong to the Texas Panhandle as a rare annular solar eclipse began Monday morning in Asia and traversed the Pacific. 
 
 The sun appeared as a thin ring behind the moon to people in a narrow path along the center of the track, which began in southern China. Heavy clouds obscured the view in Hong Kong, but residents of Tokyo and other cities were able to get a spectacular view for about four minutes around 7:32 a.m. Monday (6:32 p.m. ET Sunday). 
 
 Events were held at schools and museums in Japan, while many more people took in the unusual astronomical event at home or on street corners. 
 
 After whizzing across the Pacific, the shadow emerged over northern California and southern Oregon, where thousands of people attended parties to watch the event, the first to appear in the United States since 1994. 
 
 Experts warned that hopeful viewers should not peer up at the sky without special viewing equipment, since looking at the sun with the naked eye can cause blindness. 
 
 Just Watched Solar eclipse 'looks like a cookie' replay More Videos ... Solar eclipse 'looks like a cookie' 01:32 PLAY VIDEO 
 
 Derek Ralston, a professional photographer, said he used a welding filter to capture a direct view of eclipse in the foothills above Oroville, California. He shared the photo on CNN iReport. 
 
 Noting "the rather slim swath of the globe who could see the impact of the eclipse," Ralston said he wanted to enable "the rest of the world to see how clear it looked to those of us who were fortunate enough to see it." 
 
 The sliver of sunshine then traveled southeast across central Nevada, southern Utah and northern Arizona, and then New Mexico. It passed over Albuquerque, New Mexico, about 7:34 p.m. (9:34 p.m. ET) before petering out east of Lubbock, Texas, according to NASA. 
 
 An annular eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and sun at the farthest point of its orbit, meaning it will block less than the entire sun. That leaves a large, bright ring around it as it passes. 
 
 Patrick Wiggins, a NASA ambassador in Salt Lake City, said he always looked forward to seeing people's reactions to such events. 
 
 "You get everything from stoic, staring into the sky ... to people breaking down and crying, they're just so moved," he said. 
 
 Aaron Lin, an 8th-grade student from Moraga, California, said a tree in his family's yard had served as unexpected natural viewing device on Sunday. 
 
 The leaves of the tree, whose shadow falls on the side of the family's house, broke up the light from the eclipse into scores of tiny crescents on the wall, he said. 
 
 "I was so shocked by these shadows because it looked like a painting or computer art," said Aaron, 13. 
 
 Did you view the eclipse? Share your photos with CNN iReport and they could be featured on CNN. 
 
 The next solar eclipse will be on November 13, and is expected to be visible over northern Australia, according to NASA. ||||| NOTE: The solar eclipse of November 3, 2013 has ended. See best photos here. 
 
 On Sunday, November 3, 2013, there will be a hybrid solar eclipse. That is, the eclipse appears fleetingly as an annular – or ring eclipse – at its start in the Atlantic Ocean and becomes a brief total eclipse later on. Along the long yet narrow central eclipse path, one can see the total eclipse, but much of the world outside that exclusive path will see a partial eclipse on Sunday. The partial eclipse will be visible from far-eastern North America, the Caribbean, northern South America, southern Greenland, the Atlantic Ocean, southern Europe, Africa, Madagascar and the Middle East. Keep in mind that you’ll absolutely need proper eye protection to watch this or any solar eclipse. Please use caution to prevent blindness or severe eye injury! 
 
 No matter where you reside within the eclipse viewing area, the solar eclipse will take place sometime between sunrise and sunset on Sunday, November 3, 2013. 
 
 IMPORTANT: This eclipse happens early on Sunday, according to U.S. clocks! Online coverage begins at 1045 UTC (4:45 a.m. CST) on November 3. Also remember, for us in the U.S., Daylight Saving Time ends November 3. 
 
 Follow the links below to learn more about the November 3 solar eclipse. 
 
 Eastern North America sees a partial solar eclipse beginning at sunrise November 3. 
 
 Europe, Africa and the Middle East see solar eclipse in afternoon hours November 3. 
 
 Equatorial Africa views short-lived total solar eclipse in afternoon hours November 3. 
 
 Click here for more details about the total solar eclipse as seen from Africa. 
 
 Use an eclipse calculator to find out the eclipse times for your area. 
 
 Eye safety during solar eclipses. 
 
 Cartographer Michael Zeiler has many maps and other graphical information about this eclipse. 
 
 View interactive eclipse map from Xavier Jubier and Google Earth. 
 
 How to watch the November 3 total solar eclipse online. 
 
 Eastern North America sees a partial solar eclipse beginning at sunrise November 3. To see this eclipse from Earth’s western hemisphere, you’ll need to be in far-eastern North America, the Caribbean and the northwestern tip of South America. From those locations, the eclipse will be seen as a very shallow (and shrinking) partial solar eclipse. It may – or may not – be perceptible as the sun rises on November 3, depending on the clarity of your eastern sky. Photographers with good sky conditions might capture some wonderful photos. 
 
 Seen from further west in the U.S. and Canada, the sun will rise with the eclipse nearly over. Assuming you have a flat horizon and good sky conditions, the western limit of the event’s visibility runs through southern Ontario, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. 
 
 Any further west in North America … sorry. No eclipse for you. Watch online. 
 
 We give the local times of the eclipse for chosen cities from as far north as Montreal, Canada, and as far south as Cartagena, Colombia. If your locality isn’t mentioned, you can find out if the eclipse is visible in your area, and at what times, by using an eclipse calculator. 
 
 If the eclipse is visible for you, be sure to find an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunrise, for the eclipsed sun will be hovering very close the horizon. Remember to use eye protection! 
 
 Eclipse times: 
 
 Canada: 
 
 Montreal, Quebec 
 
 Sunrise: 6:35 a.m. EST 
 
 Partial eclipse ends: 7:12 a.m. EST 
 
 United States: 
 
 New York City, NY 
 
 Sunrise: 6:29 a.m. EST 
 
 Partial eclipse ends: 7:11 a.m. EST 
 
 Raleigh, North Carolina 
 
 Sunrise: 6:39 a.m. EST 
 
 Partial eclipse ends: 7:08 a.m. EST 
 
 Miami, Florida 
 
 Sunrise: 6:31 a.m. EST 
 
 Partial eclipse ends: 7:02 a.m. EST 
 
 Caribbean: 
 
 Havana, Cuba 
 
 Sunrise: 6:34 a.m. EST 
 
 Partial eclipse ends: 7:00 a.m. EST 
 
 South America: 
 
 Cartagena, Colombia 
 
 Sunrise: 5:52 a.m. local time 
 
 Partial eclipse ends: 6:52 a.m. local time 
 
 Europe, Africa and the Middle East see solar eclipse in afternoon hours November 3. The western portions of Europe and Africa will see the greatest eclipse around noon or early afternoon. For far-eastern Africa, Madagascar and the Middle East, the eclipse will take place in the late afternoon or close to sunset. Remember to use eye protection! 
 
 Local eclipse times: 
 
 Madrid, Spain 
 
 Partial eclipse begins: 1:00 p.m. local time 
 
 Greatest eclipse: 1:35 p.m. local time 
 
 Partial eclipse ends: 2:10 p.m. local time 
 
 Algiers, Algeria 
 
 Partial eclipse begins: 1:15 p.m. local time 
 
 Greatest eclipse: 1:56 p.m. local time 
 
 Partial eclipse ends: 2:36 p.m. local time 
 
 Jerusalem, Israel 
 
 Partial eclipse begins: 3:12 p.m. local time 
 
 Greatest eclipse: 4:00 p.m. local time 
 
 Partial eclipse ends: 4:43 p.m. local time 
 
 Equatorial Africa views short-lived total solar eclipse in afternoon hours November 3. Well over 99.9% of the eclipse viewing area will see varying degrees of a partial solar eclipse. On land, a total solar eclipse will be visible along a very narrow track in equatorial Africa (Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia) sometime during the afternoon hours on Sunday, November 3. At best, the total eclipse will last somewhat more than one minute (in western Gabon). 
 
 Click here for more details about the total solar eclipse as seen from Africa.. 
 
 Either of the two eclipse calculators listed below will enable you to compute the eclipse times for your locality. The U.S. Naval Observatory gives the eclipse times in Universal Time, so you need to convert to local time. The eclipse calculator from timeanddate.com gives the times in local time, so no time conversion is necessary. 
 
 Solar eclipse computer courtesy of US Naval observatory 
 
 Eclipse calculator courtesy of timeanddate.com 
 
 How do I translate Universal Time into my time? 
 
 Bottom line: November 3, 2013 will bring a special kind of eclipse, a hybrid solar eclipse. That is, the eclipse will be an annular or ring eclipse at its start and a total eclipse, briefly, later on. Elsewhere, this eclipse will be partial. Be sure to protect your eyes! Time tips and times in this post. 
 
 Still not sure if or when you’ll see it? Try Fred Espenak’s list of eclipse times for many locations. 
 
 Eye safety during solar eclipses 
 
 When is the next total solar eclipse in the U.S.? ||||| Media caption Tokyo had a spectacular view of the eclipse 
 
 An "annular eclipse" has been viewed across a swathe of the Earth stretching across the Pacific from Asia to the western US. 
 
 The eclipse occurs when the Moon is at its farthest from the Earth and does not block out the Sun completely. 
 
 Millions of people witnessed the resulting "ring of fire" phenomenon. 
 
 The eclipse passed almost directly over Tokyo before sweeping just below Alaska's Aleutian islands and making landfall in the western US. 
 
 In Japan "eclipse tours" were held at schools and parks, on pleasure boats and even private airplanes. Similar events were also held in China and Taiwan. 
 
 TV in Tokyo broadcast the event live. 
 
 Light rain fell on Tokyo as the eclipse began, but the clouds thinned as it reached its peak, providing near perfect conditions. 
 
 Image caption Schoolchildren in Tokyo enjoyed the phenomenon 
 
 "It was a very mysterious sight - I've never seen anything like it," said Kaori Sasaki, who joined a crowd in central Tokyo. 
 
 Japanese electronics giant Panasonic sent an expedition to the top of Mount Fuji to film the eclipse using solar-powered equipment. 
 
 "Our goal is to broadcast the world's most beautiful annular eclipse from the highest mountain in Japan," the company said. 
 
 However, in Hong Kong skywatchers were not so lucky. Hundreds had gathered along the Kowloon waterfront where the Space Museum had set up solar-filtered telescopes, but heavy clouds obstructed the view. 
 
 In the US, viewing parties were reported in Reno, Nevada; Oakland, California, and elsewhere. 
 
 Hundreds also travelled to the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which was hailed as one of the best vantage points. 
 
 "That's got to be the prettiest thing I've ever seen," said Brent Veltri of Salida, Colorado. 
 
 The eclipse was fully visible across a 240 to 300km-wide swathe but partial views could be seen across much of east Asia and North America. 
 
 The Slooh series of space telescopes has been covering the event on its website.
– East Coasters, this might be the best use of that extra hour you'll gain overnight by setting the clocks back: Get up at sunrise and check out the sky. (NBC News advises how to do so safely.) Weather permitting, you'll be treated to a solar eclipse. This one is what's known as a hybrid solar eclipse: "That is, the eclipse appears fleetingly as an annular—or ring eclipse—at its start in the Atlantic Ocean and becomes a brief total eclipse later on," explains EarthSky. Those on the East Coast can expect to see it as a partial eclipse. (You can dig into worldwide viewing maps at Universe Today, or plan to watch online coverage here.)