PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE
A partial solar eclipse occurs when only the penumbra (the partial shadow) passes you by. In these cases, a part of the sun always remains in view during the eclipse. How much of the sun remains in view depends on the specific circumstances.
Usually the penumbra gives just a glancing blow to our planet over the Polar Regions; in such cases places far away from the poles but still within the zone of the penumbra might not see much more than a small scallop of the sun hidden by the moon. In a different scenario, those who are positioned within a couple of thousand miles of the path of a total eclipse will see a partial eclipse.
The closer you are to the path of totality, the greater the solar obscuration. If, for instance, you’re positioned just outside of the path of the total eclipse, you’ll see the sun wane to a narrow crescent, then thicken up again as the shadow passes you by.