epaselect epa06155385 The moon eclipses the sun above the Washington Monument during the so-called 'Great American Eclipse' in Washington, DC, USA, 21 August 2017. Eighty one percent of the sun was obscured in Washington, DC. The 21 August 2017 total solar eclipse will last a maximum of 2 minutes 43 seconds and the thin path of totality will pass through portions of 14 US states, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). EPA/JIM LO SCALZO