If you’re not going to be in the Great North American solar eclipse’s path of totality, or you haven’t picked up a pair of eclipse glasses yet, don’t worry—you can still experience the weirdness and wonder of the space spectacle on Monday, April 8, 2024, as Mental Floss livestreams the event.
Simply park yourself in front of your phone, tablet, or laptop and catch every second of the moon’s journey between the sun and Earth. A total solar eclipse will be visible along a path of totality that stretches from northwestern Mexico, across the eastern half of the United States, to maritime Canada. NASA’s interactive solar eclipse map will give you an idea of when the darkness will descend in your neighborhood. Cities and towns outside of the path of totality will still see an amazing show, in which a portion of the sun will be hidden by the moon, skies will dim, and strange shadows will appear.
The livestream comes courtesy of the Exploratorium, a science museum in San Francisco founded in 1969 by Frank Oppenheimer, the younger brother of J. Robert Oppenheimer. The museum will broadcast live from Junction, Texas, and Torreón, Mexico, two towns in the path of totality, with scenes of the solar eclipse as well as commentary from NASA experts, Exploratorium scientists, and other educators. Tune in from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. EDT on April 8, 2024 to catch the show.
In the meantime, brush up on the key facts and science of the Great North American solar eclipse with our viewing guide, watch the very first movie of a solar eclipse, filmed in 1900; and review some safety tips for viewing a solar eclipse if you do plan on stepping outside for a look.