The best place in the world to watch the eclipse will, of course, be right underneath it as it sweeps the US. But the second best place might well be the internet.

If you're not able to get to the "path of totality" – the line where the coming eclipse is perfectly aligned, and the sun disappears almost completely – or not able to get hold of the glasses that you need to watch it safely, then there'll be livestreams on the internet where you can watch it happen.

Perhaps the easiest of those is being hosted by The Weather Channel, on Twitter, where you'll be able to follow the eclipse's journey not just from one perfect spot but many.

Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world Show all 26 1 /26 Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A lunar eclipse is visible in Scottish Borders, the result of the Moon starting to move into the Earth's shadow. PA Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A total eclipsed moon is seen from Silver Spring, Maryland, on December 21, 2010. GETTY IMAGES Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A total eclipsed moon is pictured as seen from Silver Spring, Maryland, on December 21, 2010. GETTY IMAGES Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A picture taken in New York shows the moon in the early stages of a lunar eclipse on December 21, 2010. GETTY IMAGES Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A lunar eclipse is visible in Scottish Borders, the result of the Moon starting to move into the Earth's shadow PA Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world The moon is pictured during a circle of a total eclipse as seen from Silver Spring, Maryland, on December 21, 2010. This eclipse takes place just hours before the December solstice, which marks the beginning of northern winter and southern summer. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world The moon is pictured during a circle of a total eclipse as seen from Silver Spring, Maryland, on December 21, 2010. This eclipse takes place just hours before the December solstice, which marks the beginning of northern winter and southern summer. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world The moon is pictured during a circle of a total eclipse as seen from Silver Spring, Maryland, on December 21, 2010. This eclipse takes place just hours before the December solstice, which marks the beginning of northern winter and southern summer. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world The moon during a cycleof a total eclipse ais seen from Silver Spring, Maryland, on December 21, 2010. This eclipse takes place just hours before the December solstice, which marks the beginning of northern winter and southern summer. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A total eclipsed moon is pictured as seen from Silver Spring, Maryland, on December 21, 2010. This eclipse takes place just hours before the December solstice, which marks the beginning of northern winter and southern summer. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A picture taken in New York shows the moon as a total eclipse nears its peak on December, 21, 2010. During the eclipse, the Earth will align between the full moon and the sun, covering the lunar surface in shadow. The eclipse is also falling on the same day as the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere a rare occurrence that hasn't happened in 372 years. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A picture taken in Manassas, Virginia shows the moon as the total eclipse reaches its peak on December, 21, 2010. During the eclipse, the Earth will align between the full moon and the sun, covering the lunar surface in shadow. The eclipse is also falling on the same day as the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere a rare occurrence that hasn't happened in 372 years. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A total eclipsed moon is seen from Silver Spring, Maryland, on December 21, 2010. This eclipse takes place just hours before the December solstice, which marks the beginning of northern winter and southern summer. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world The moon is pictured during its circle of a total eclipse as seen from Silver Spring, Maryland, on December 21, 2010. This eclipse takes place just hours before the December solstice, which marks the beginning of northern winter and southern summer. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A picture taken in Manassas, Virginia shows the moon as the total eclipse reaches its peak on December, 21, 2010. During the eclipse, the Earth will align between the full moon and the sun, covering the lunar surface in shadow. The eclipse is also falling on the same day as the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere a rare occurrence that hasn't happened in 372 years. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world In this handout photo provided by NASA, A total lunar eclipse is seen as the full moon is shadowed by the Earth on the arrival of the winter solstice, on December 21, 2010 in Arlington, Virginia. It is the first lunar eclipse that has coincided with the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, since 1638. Getty Images/ NASA Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world The moon shadowed by the Earth is seen during a total eclipse on February 20, 2007 in Mexico city. Total lunar eclipses occur when the Sun, the Earth and the Moon are all in alignment and the Moon travels into the broad cone of shadow cast by the Earth. The Moon does not become invisible, though, because there is still residual sunlight that is deflected towards it by the Earth's atmosphere, most of which is light in the red part of the spectrum. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world This file picture taken on February 21, 2008 is combo picture of five images showing various stages of the lunar eclipse as seen in Sofia. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world The moon is seen partially eclipsed at is rises in cloudy skies over the San Francisco Bay Bridge February 20, 2008 in San Francisco, California. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world The moon is partly covered in the Earth's shadow during a phase of the lunar eclipse February 20, 2008 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world This combination picture shows different stages of the moon over the sky of Mexico City during a total lunar eclipse on February 20, 2008. Total lunar eclipses occur when the Sun, the Earth and the Moon are all in alignment and the Moon travels into the broad cone of shadow cast by the Earth. The Moon does not become invisible, though, because there is still residual sunlight that is deflected towards it by the Earth's atmosphere, most of which is light in the red part of the spectrum. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A palm tree blows in the breeze as the moon is covered in the Earth's shadow during a phase of the lunar eclipse February 20, 2008 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world A total lunar eclipse is seen on February 20, 2008 over Panama City, Panama. The Moon turned an eerie shade of red for people in the western hemisphere, recreating the eclipse that saved Christopher Columbus more than five centuries ago. In a lunar eclipse, the Sun, Earth and Moon are directly aligned and the Moon swings into the cone of shadow cast by the Earth. Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world The moon enters and emerges from the earth's shadow during a total eclipse of the moon on February 20, 2008 over in Titusville, Florida in this composite photograph of the stages from partial (L) to total (C) and back to partial (R). Getty Images Lunar eclipse delight for sky watchers around the world The moon appears red during a total lunar eclipse from Mexico City on February 20, 2008. Total lunar eclipses occur when the Sun, the Earth and the Moon are all in alignment and the Moon travels into the broad cone of shadow cast by the Earth. Getty Images

The two companies will be chasing the eclipse from 10 different locations along the eclipse path – and from space – hosting live video coverage with meteorologists and other experts, including feeds before, after and as the eclipse actually happens. (That space coverage will be provided by "aerial drone footage" from cameras that are usually used for tracking storms, the company said.)

"This eclipse is a once-in-a-hundred-year event, and we're going to party like it's New Year's Eve,'" said Neil Katz, head of global content and editor-in-chief at The Weather Company. "This eclipse is a celestial phenomenon and cultural moment that can't be missed, and we couldn't imagine a better partner than Twitter to celebrate this with."

The live coverage starts at noon eastern time on 21 August, not long before the eclipse arrives on the west coast of the US. But something is visible on the site already, with Twitter's special page collecting posts about the eclipse.