Astronomers aren't alone in looking to the skies right now, because an upcoming total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8 has got everyone excited for this major celestial event.
US: Eclipse Across America (various cable channels)
UK: BBC coverage (learn more)
Watch abroad with a VPN
People living along a narrow band of the US and Mexico will be able to look up from 2.07 pm ET/11.07 am PT (roughly, as it depends on where you are) and see the sun fully covered up by the moon, creating a spectacular sight to behold.
NASA has a handy Eclipse Explorer map to help you work out whether you're on the eclipse path, or how much of it you can see, which you can find here. People living further afield will still be able to witness a partial eclipse, which will be visible as far away as the UK.
Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to pop their head out of the window to see this amazing space spectacle, however there's a solution. Websites and broadcasters in other regions are set to be airing coverage, so you can keep up to date with the event even if you can't witness it yourself.
If that's you, here's how to watch the April 8 total solar eclipse coverage online or on TV.
How to watch total solar eclipse coverage in the US
If you live in the US, but can't witness the total eclipse yourself, a cable live event will let you keep up with the solar happenings instead. This show is called Eclipse Across America and it'll take place from 2 pm ET/11 am ET for two hours.
This telecast will bring you some ABC anchors and Nat Geo reporters as it jumps between the various cities that are in the eclipse path, from Mexico's Mazatlán all the way to Houlton in Maine.
Quite a few different channels are set to air Eclipse Across America including ABC, ABC News Live, National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD. You can also use either Disney Plus or Hulu to catch it as they're set to host live streams.
Just a note: if you plan to watch the total solar eclipse yourself, there are some important safety tips to bear in mind to avoid damaging your eyes (or anything else, for that matter). Our sister site Space.com has a guide on how to watch it safely which we'd recommend.
How to watch total solar eclipse coverage in the UK
If you live in the UK, you're sadly not going to see the total eclipse, even if you squint really hard. In some parts of the British Isles, like Ireland and Wales, the tail end of the partial eclipse will be visible, but in the majority of England no eclipse will be present. Sad news for those working from What to Watch's office that day!
Instead of watching the eclipse in the real world, the BBC is set to publish written coverage and also host a live stream of the event as it happens. The former will begin at 2 pm, though the broadcaster hasn't said when it'll kick off its live stream. The total eclipse is due to begin in Mexico at around 7:07 pm so expect a live stream just ahead of this.
The BBC will air its live stream on its website and possibly also iPlayer too, though the latter hasn't been confirmed.
How to watch total solar eclipse coverage in Australia
Unfortunately, no part of the April 8 solar eclipse will be visible from Australia: neither total nor partial ones.
It doesn't seem like any official broadcaster will be sharing coverage of the eclipse either. It's possible that coverage will be shared by media companies on social media, but you might have to hunt around for one.
How to watch total solar eclipse coverage everywhere else
Total solar eclipse coverage varies region to region, and outside of social media streams, some countries don't seem to have any broadcasters hosting any way to watch it. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to your favorite show, movie, event, sport or other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at NordVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
