A solar eclipse, the Perseid meteor shower, brilliant Venus, and a deep partial lunar eclipse will make August an unusually eventful month for skywatchers. August Skywatching HighlightsAug. 5: Last Quarter MoonAug. 12: A total solar eclipse crosses northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, and part of Portugal. A Solar Eclipse Crosses the Northern HemisphereA solar eclipse, one of the year's most popular meteor showers, a dazzling evening appearance by Venus, and a lunar eclipse will fill August with memorable celestial events. Observers in parts of the United States, stretching from Alaska to North Carolina, will see a partial eclipse instead. Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse can be viewed safely without eye protection.