The sun, or at least most of it, will keep shining in California during the eclipse.

While the nation’s most populous state was far from the path of totality, scattered gatherings organized by communities and universities, especially in Southern California, were ready to greet a partial solar eclipse.

The moon was expected to cover 49 percent of the sun at 11:21 a.m. local time in Los Angeles, where there is a small chance of cloudy weather.

Caltech in Pasadena, California State University, Los Angeles, and the California Science Center, also in Los Angeles, were among the institutions in Southern California holding viewing events on Monday. Several public libraries throughout Los Angeles were also hosting eclipse gatherings or distributing free protective glasses.

The National Weather Service in San Diego said clouds over the region were “quickly diminishing,” setting up favorable conditions for viewing the partial eclipse.