People in the northeast of the U.S. and eastern Canada will be treated to a partial solar eclipse on the morning of Thursday, June 10 — weather permitting, of course. Digital Trends has full details on how you can witness the event should you be lucky enough to be located in its path.
So what if you’re outside of the zone where the eclipse can be viewed? Well, you can still watch it happen in real time by firing up the livestream at the top of this page.
If the skies are clear, NASA will carry a feed of the eclipse on Thursday morning as it takes place over parts of Canada and the Arctic. It’s not the same as witnessing the phenomenon in person, but it’s surely the next best thing.
The livestream, which comes courtesy of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Sudbury Centre in Ontario, will begin at 5 a.m. ET (2 a.m. PT), but it will be dark until local sunrise at about 5:25 a.m. ET (2:25 a.m. PT). The eclipse will take place a short while later.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between Earth and the sun, momentarily obscuring the view of our nearest star. NASA says the telescope streaming Thursday’s event is located too far south to view the full effect of the eclipse that will result in a so-called “ring of fire” but adds that with clear skies, viewers will be able to enjoy a partial eclipse where the moon appears to take a bite out of the sun.
According to NASA, solar eclipses can occur up to four times a year, though the area on the ground from where you can see a total eclipse might only be 50 miles wide. “In any given location on Earth, a total eclipse happens only once every hundred years or so, though for selected locations they can occur as little as a few years apart,” the space agency says.
If you’re planning to watch the eclipse in person, be absolutely sure to use proper protection for your eyes. NASA has an eclipse safety guide that explains how to enjoy the solar eclipse without risk of injury.