How to Livestream the Total Solar Eclipse from Home for Free
All the resources you need to avoid missing out on the celestial event of the year.
This is one of my final PSAs that in just a few days, on April 8 2024, the total solar eclipse will be visible in all its majesty from a slew of states across the US, as well as some parts of Mexico and Canada.
If you haven't made plans yet, you still might have a small chance of cooking something up in three days by following our last-minute planning tips, but in the event that travel is off the table with so little notice, I want to assure you that technically, you're not completely toast. The same goes for all those who are worrying about their chosen totality location being cloudy on eclipse day. All hope for witnessing this phenomenon may not be lost.
The solution is simple: if you're not able to catch sight of the eclipse with your own eyes, make sure you fire up a livestream instead—even if it's just a plan B in case it gets suddenly cloudy before eclipse time where you are!
Luckily for you, there's plenty of free livestreams available out there to watch the total solar eclipse from your preferred screen, so we rounded up the best ones for your convenience. Make sure to bookmark these before Monday, so that you can easily access them in time!
NASA's solar eclipse livestream
Of course, the first one worthy of mention is NASA's livestream. As Dr. Michael Kirk, a research scientist in the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, previously told Thrillist, NASA’s eclipse broadcast is your best bet to avoid FOMO.
"Even if you have to work or you're in school or something, you can still be a part of the celebration, because it really is nationwide," Dr. Kirk said. "And we want to include everybody."
NASA's livestream will be broadcasting with telescope views and expert commentary from several locations along the path of totality—so hopefully at least one of them isn't cloudy—and the stream will be live from 1 to 4 pm ET on Monday, April 8. You can even submit any questions you have while watching by sharing questions in the YouTube stream's chat using the hashtag #askNASA.
Timeanddate.com's solar eclipse livestream
Another valid resource to watch the total solar eclipse from beginning to end is the one available on timeanddate.com. The skywatching website will feature both a livestream of the eclipse as well as a live blog with real-time information to fully keep you in the loop during the event.
The Exploratorium's solar eclipse livestreams
If you're undecided of which livestream to pick, San Francisco's science and art museum The Exploratorium has got you covered. On eclipse day, the museum will offer multiple livestreams, each of which will highlight different eclipse features. One of them will be stationed in Torreón, Mexico, which is expected to bear witness to one of the longest periods of totality of anywhere on the planet during this eclipse. Other livestreams from the museum will be based in Junction, Texas.
The McDonald Observatory's solar eclipse livestream
The University of Texas research facility is also livestreaming the total solar eclipse on April 8. On that day, in addition to viewing the event on your screen, you'll also get to learn about eclipses and their nature as well as tips and tricks to watch them via expert commentary.
University of Maine's solar eclipse balloon livestream
For a different, yet very cool viewing experience, make sure to connect to the University of Maine's livestream from the stratosphere. How are they going to do that, you're wondering? Via a balloon, quite literally.
The University of Maine is one of 53 teams participating in the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project, which is led by Montana State University. As part of the project, researchers will send weather balloons up in the air until they reach the stratosphere, and through them, they'll be able to get data and video about the eclipse.
