This diagram easily breaks down what's going on with the sun, moon, and Earth during the August 21 total solar eclipse. Business Insider Subscribe Newsletters ...

It combines images taken at different times of day over the course of six months, and each curve tracks the Sun’s path across the sky on a particular day. Gaps indicate cloudy days.

The Sun's yearly path across the sky is called the ecliptic. The Moon's orbit is tilted relative to the ecliptic, causing its path to vary. This tilt affects the Moon's highest and lowest points ...

The eclipse may be barely noticeable in the southeast, with cities such as Washington, D.C., expecting about 1 percent of the sun to be blocked, Forbes reported.