How and where to watch the April 8 solar eclipse online for free
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible across North America and you can watch all the action live from your own home.
On April 8 a total solar eclipse will be visible through northern Mexico, parts of 15 U.S. states and southeastern Canada. That's just a few days away!
It will be one of the most-watched eclipses ever with over 32 million people living within the path of totality — a 115-mile (185-kilometer) wide route through Northern America where the moon will cover 100% of the sun's disk.
If you cannot witness the solar eclipse in person, you can watch all the action unfold here on Live Science's sister site Space.com courtesy of NASA. The livestream coverage begins at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) on Monday. You can also keep up with all the eclipse content with the total solar eclipse live blog and count down to what is expected to be the skywatching event of the year.
During a total solar eclipse, the moon moves between Earth and the sun, appearing almost exactly the same size as the sun. During totality, the moon blocks the entire solar disk for a few minutes (the duration of totality depends on where you are viewing it from).
Total solar eclipse livestreams
This list will be updated as more livestreams become available as we approach the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Timeanddate livestream
Skywatching website timeanddate.com will be covering the total solar eclipse from start to finish with their livestream and live blog that will feature real-time progress reports and background information.
NASA livestream
Watch the total solar eclipse 2024 live with NASA as it moves across North America on April 8, 2024, traveling through Mexico, across the United States from Texas to Maine, and out across Canada's Atlantic coast.
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The livestream will be running from 1 to 4 p.m. EDT (1700 to 2000 GMT) on April 8, During the broadcast NASA will be sharing conversations with experts and provide telescope views of the eclipse from several sites along the eclipse path. Make sure to send in your questions in the chat using #askNASA for a chance to have them answered live.
Related: 4 ways you can help NASA study the April 8 solar eclipse
UMaine livestream from the stratosphere
The University of Maine's livestream from the stratosphere takes eclipse viewing to a whole new level.
UMaine is among 75 institutions comprising 53 teams nationwide to participate in the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project led by Montana State University (MSU). The project aims to broaden the participation of STEM learners from various higher education institutions by collecting valuable data from scientific ballooning.
McDonald observatory livestream
The McDonald Observatory, an astronomical research facility part of the University of Texas will be livestreaming the total solar eclipse on April 8.
"Join us as we talk about eclipses, what causes them, how to safely view them and watch the peak of the eclipse from three locations in Texas: McDonald Observatory, Lake Buchanan, and Irving." said the McDonald Observatory in a statement on their YouTube livestream.
Notable locations for the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
| Location | Totality (local time) | Totality duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico | 11:07 a.m. MST | 4 minutes 20 seconds |
| Durango, Durango, Mexico | 12:12 p.m. CST | 3 minutes 50 seconds |
| Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico | 12:16 p.m. CST | 4 minutes 11 seconds |
| Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico/Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. | 1:27 p.m. CDT | 4 minutes 24 seconds |
| Kerrville, Texas, U.S. | 1:32 p.m. CDT | 4 minutes 25 seconds |
| Fredericksburg, Texas, U.S. | 1:32 p.m. CDT | 4 minutes 25 seconds |
| Dallas, Texas, U.S. | 1:40 p.m. CDT | 3 minutes 52 seconds |
| Idabel, Oklahoma, U.S. | U.S: 1:45 p.m CDT | 4 minutes 19 seconds |
| Russellville, Arkansas, U.S. | 1:49 p.m. CDT | 4 minutes 12 seconds |
| Cape Girardeau, Missouri, U.S. | 1:58 p.m. CDT | 4 minutes 7 seconds |
| Carbondale, Illinois, U.S. | 1:59 p.m. CDT | 4 minutes 10 seconds |
| Bloomington, Indiana, U.S. | 3:04 p.m. EDT | 4 minutes 3 seconds |
| Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | 3:06 p.m. EDT | 3 minutes 51 seconds |
| Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | 3:13 p.m. EDT | 3 minutes 50 seconds |
| Erie, Pennsylvania | U.S: 3:16 p.m. EDT | 3 minutes 43 seconds |
| Rochester, New York, U.S. | 3:20 p.m. EDT | 3 minutes 40 seconds |
| Vermont, U.S. | 3:27 p.m. EDT | 1 minutes 42 seconds |
| Oakfield, Maine, U.S | 3:31 p.m. EDT | 3 minutes 23 seconds |
| Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada | 3:18 p.m. EDT | 3 minutes 31 seconds |
| Montreal, Quebec, Canada | 3:26 p.m. EDT | 1 minute 57 seconds |
| Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada | 4:34 p.m. ADT | 3 minutes 8 seconds |
| Tignish, Prince Edward Island, Canada | 4:35 p.m. ADT | 3 minutes 12 seconds |
| Catalina, Newfoundland, Canada | 5:13 p.m. NDT | 2 minutes 53 seconds |
Originally posted on Space.com.
Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 as a reference writer having previously worked for our sister publication All About Space magazine as a staff writer. Before joining us, Daisy completed an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre in Leicester, U.K., where she enjoyed communicating space science to the public. In 2021, Daisy completed a PhD in plant physiology and also holds a Master's in Environmental Science, she is currently based in Nottingham, U.K.