Here's when to start watching the solar eclipse

In one week, millions of heads across North America will be turned skyward to watch a much-anticipated event: the solar eclipse of Aug. 21.

Though dubbed the Great American Eclipse because totality will occur across a swath of the U.S. stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, Canada will be treated to an eclipse as well: a partial solar eclipse.

• How and where you can watch the solar eclipse on Aug. 21
• How solar eclipses help us better understand our universe

The eclipse will be visible all across the country, with coverage of the sun ranging from about 90 per cent in Victoria to about 25 per cent in Inuvik, N.W.T. 

Want to know when to start looking? Here's an interactive map for major cities across Canada that shows when the eclipse starts, at what time the maximum coverage will occur and when it ends. 

Remember that when the eclipse starts, it'll barely be noticeable. Eventually, however, it'll look like someone's taken a bite out of the sun and increase from there.

Check out this interactive to see what it'll look like from where you live.

It's important to remember to wear proper eye protection — approved solar eclipse glasses. Skywatchers can try to find them at local science stores, astronomy groups or museums, though there's a possibility they may be sold out this late in the game.

Be warned: there have been many glasses on the market that don't meet the standards. Amazon has had to send out warnings to many who purchased inadequate eclipse glasses, causing an uproar just a week ahead of the event.

"Just because 80 per cent of the sun is missing, 20 per cent of the sun is there. You only need a fraction of a percent of the sun to be visible to generate eye damage," astronomer Paul Delaney told CBC News.