Solar Eclipse on August 8: How to Watch Online Without Flying to Spain

A solar eclipse will take place today, with its path of visibility stretching from Spain up to Greenland. It is already too late to travel for a closer look, but you can still watch the event from home: an enthusiast named jonty has compiled a list of webcams that will capture the celestial show.

This approach is convenient because it requires no special glasses or projection cards. However, the organizers warn that most cameras are not pointed directly at the Sun, so viewers may see not the eclipse itself but only its effect on the surrounding light levels.

For those who prefer a more scientific view, a NASA live feed is available. The European Space Agency (ESA) is broadcasting from the observatory in Javalambre, Spain, while another channel offers a telescope view.

If you want to know in advance how the event will look from a specific location, Harvard has prepared a simulation. For added realism, wearing regular sunglasses is suggested — just for fun. The authors of the article joke that they would rather watch eclipses from the lunar surface, and if you like, you can always create your own eclipse.