See Friday's solar eclipse on Internet

WASHINGTON -- A total solar eclipse will darken some of Earth's skies on Friday, but geography, weather and timing are combining to make it hard and expensive for people to see it.

Unless you have Internet access and are awake in the wee hours.

The total blotting out of the sun, which occurs when the moon's dark inner shadow falls on parts of the Earth, can only be seen in mostly remote places: the northeastern edge of Canada, the tip of Greenland, and parts of Russia, China and Mongolia.

"The northeastern part of Maine will see a little bit of this eclipse right at sunrise," NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak said.

For those who can't be there, it will be shown live on the Internet.

This eclipse at its peak will last two minutes and 27 seconds. It reaches its peak at 4:09 a.m. PDT.

"It's so rare and unusual, it's unfortunate to pass up any chance," said Espenak, who has been chasing eclipses since 1970 and has his own Mr. Eclipse Web site and a NASA solar eclipse Web site.

Espenak will be in northern China to watch the eclipse with a tour group.

There is a cut-rate, closer to home option.

Museums, such as the Exploratorium in San Francisco, will have eclipse events. NASA, the Exploratorium and others will broadcast the eclipse live on the Internet.

Next year's total solar eclipse -- July 22, 2009 -- will be more southern and last the longest of the 21st century: 6 minutes, 39 seconds.

But it will be during monsoon season and can be seen, only if the weather cooperates, in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China and the Pacific Ocean.