If you’re nowhere near the path of totality or if clouds spoil your view, you can still catch the total solar eclipse online.
Weather permitting, tens of millions who live along a narrow stretch from Mexico’s Pacific coast to eastern Canada can just look skyward Monday to glimpse day turn to twilight when the moon blots out the sun.
Eclipse glasses are a must to prevent eye damage.
The only time it’s safe to ditch protective glasses is during totality, or the few minutes of complete darkness.
Here are some alternatives if you’re clouded out during the eclipse or if you can’t travel to the path:
NASA goes live from different eclipse cities
NASA is offering several hours of streaming online and on NASA TV starting at 1 p.m. from several cities along the totality path.
The space agency will show telescope views of the sun and there will be appearances by scientists and space station astronauts.
During the eclipse, small rockets will blast off from Wallops Island, Virginia, with science instruments into the electrically charged portion of the atmosphere near the edge of space known as the ionosphere.
AP hosts live show from totality path
Associated Press journalists will fan out along the path of totality to bring live coverage of watch parties and festivities.
The AP livestream will start at 10 a.m. with views from Mazatlán, Mexico, and other locations. Commentary will run from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. featuring interviews with organizers, scientists and live views from along the path.
Everything to know about the 2024 solar eclipse
- The solar eclipse will take place Monday, April 8, blocking the sun for over 180 million people in its path.
- The eclipse will expand from Mexico’s Pacific Coast across North America, hitting 15 US states and pulling itself all the way to the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
- New Yorkers will experience the solar eclipse just after 2 p.m. Monday.
- A huge explosion on the sun, known as a coronal mass ejection, is anticipated, according to experts. This happens when massive particles from the sun are hurled out into space, explains Ryan French of the National Solar Observatory in Boulder, Colorado.
- To avoid serious injury to the eyes, it is necessary to view the event through proper eyewear like eclipse glasses, or a handheld solar viewer, during the partial eclipse phase before and after totality.
- The next total solar eclipse will take place on Aug. 12, 2026, and totality will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small slice of Portugal.
Telescopes and experiments focus on the sun
The Exploratorium museum will feature live telescope images of the sun from Junction, Texas, and Torreón, Mexico.
Lauren Roberts/Salisbury Daily Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Researchers and students from the University of Maine will launch high-altitude balloons in an experiment that will be livestreamed from the stratosphere.
Time and Date will show the sun from different telescope feeds.
Slooh will broadcast from Texas and will have a network of partner telescopes along the path.
