At a Glance

The moon's shadow will travel at a speed of more than 1,000 mph during August's total solar eclipse.The shadow travels at different speeds depending on how far north or south you're located, according to NASA.

We're now less than four weeks from a total solar eclipse that will be seen by much of the United States, weatherpermitting. Plans are being finalized as skywatchers get ready for their trips into the path of the eclipse, where they hope to not only witness the celestial wonder, but also watch the moon's shadow streak across the ground.

The shadow,known as the umbra, will travel at incredible speeds it moves southeastward across the U.S. on Aug. 21. According to NASA, the shadow's speed at the equator to 5,000 mph at the poles.

With the U.S. somewhere in the middle, the shadow's speed won't approach either extreme while it's over North America, but it'll move at a blistering speed regardless. Still, according to estimates, it'll slow down as the eclipse movestoward the Southeast.

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Those who hope to catch the shadow in the Northwest will have to work hardest – umbral velocities will reach speeds , according to Eclipse 2017. But as the umbra slowly works its way toward the equator, it'll drop to about half that speed – 1,500 mph – , according to an interactive map from Xavier Jubier.

So be sure to get situated on that hill with plenty of time to spare, because the moon's shadow won't be around for long.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Solar Eclipse – March 2016

A Bangladeshi man watches a partial solar eclipse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, March 9, 2016. Bangladeshi and Indian people in northeast and eastern coastal strip of the sub-continent viewed a partial solar eclipse as a total eclipse of the sun unfolded over Indonesia on Wednesday, briefly plunging cities into darkness and startling wildlife. (AP Photo/ A.M. Ahad)