The Weather Channel (TWC) employs some of the top geeks in the world, and when it comes to obsessing about events in the sky, they can be hard to beat. CNN may have its holograms and election news building projectors, but TWC has added augmented and mixed reality segments to explain things, too.

In this segment, which Mashable is debuting first online, meteorologist Mark Elliot goes through a simulation of experiencing the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21 from the perspective of an observer on the ground.

As a science editor for Mashable, I know the ins and outs of what causes an eclipse, and how dark it will get if you are in the path of totality, which on Monday will cut a narrow swath from Oregon to South Carolina. However, even I was impressed by how otherworldly the sky will appear at the time of the total solar eclipse, and how many intricate details will be revealed, about the moon and the sun, during a several-minute period on Monday.

So, before looking up — with proper eyewear protection — on Monday, take a look at this clip first. And get psyched.