Astronomy Essentials

How to watch a solar eclipse safely. Plus livestreams!

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October 14, 2023

You learned long ago never to look directly at the sun. Gazing sunward without eye protection can permanently damage your eyes. But there are a variety of ways you can safely view tomorrow’s eclipse. Plus – in case you’re on the wrong side of Earth for tomorrow’s eclipse, or if you’re clouded out, or if you just like having a livestream going while watching outside – you’ll find some useful links here.

The 2024 lunar calendars are here! Best Christmas gifts in the universe! Check ’em out here.

Online viewing: Eclipse livestreams here

Online viewing isn’t as much fun as live viewing with your family, friends and neighbors. But, nowadays, many watching outside also enjoy a channel tuned to a livestream. And – if the October 14, 2023, eclipse takes place when you’re on the wrong part of the world to see it, or when it’s nighttime outside for you – you’ll enjoy watching online. Happy viewing!

TimeandDate live broadcast

NASA live broadcast

Virtual Telescope live broadcast

Great American Eclipse live broadcast

University of Texas McDonald Observatory live broadcast

Slooh live broadcast

Space.com live broadcast

Exploratorium live broadcast

Sky viewing: Do NOT use these techniques

First, let’s cover what you shouldn’t do to look at the sun. Whatever you do, never look at the sun directly without a safe filter in place to protect your eyes.

Besides your unprotected eyeballs, here are some other things you should not use: Do NOT use sunglasses, polaroid filters, smoked glass, exposed color film, X-ray film, or photographic neutral density filters.

Watch a solar eclipse: People safely observing the sun, high in a dark sky, with one closer silhouetted man next to a telescope. — Fred Espenak created this self-portrait during a 2006 total solar eclipse. He’s using a small telescope equipped with a solar filter for observing the sun safely. Thank you, Fred! Used with permission. Read the ways to watch a solar eclipse – and the sun – safely, below.

DO use these techniques for observing the sun safely

Safe commercial solar filters for a telescope. If you have a ‘scope, you’ll need a safe solar filter on the sky end of it in order to search for sunspots or watch a solar eclipse safely. Do not use a filter on the eyepiece end of your telescope. There’s too much to say about solar filters to include in this article, so we refer you to Fred Espenak’s article on safe solar filters. If you don’t have a ‘scope, you still have plenty of options, such as …

A home-rigged, indirect viewing method. Creating a pinhole camera is another great option, because it lets your family and friends get a good view of the sun, too. We recommend this article by the masters of do-it-yourself science at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Their article on how to view solar eclipses safely teaches you to make an easy pinhole projector. With it, you can shine the sun’s image onto a flat surface and impress your friends and neighbors while giving everyone (including yourself) a cool experience.

Shadow on a wooden deck of a hand holding a colander with many small bright crescents. — Use a colander as an easy pinhole projector to safely view a solar eclipse. Image via Marcy Curran.

But don’t go yet. There’s more …

A commercial pinhole projector. There are several versions of this handy and unique device to safely project an image of the sun. The Sunspotter projects an enlarged image of the sun onto a piece of paper, and even shows all but the smallest sunspots. It’s easy to use plus multiple people can safely watch the eclipse (or see sunspots) at the same time. Of course, for solar eclipses the advancing – and eventual retreating – of the moon’s shadow is easy to see and even photograph.

Wooden device with a semicircle base, a triangular insert projecting a picture of an eclipsed sun on white paper. — Commercial sun projection devices are available as well, such as this Sunspotter. They use an eyepiece to project the sun on a piece of paper to safely watch solar eclipses and to view sunspots. Image via Marcy Curran.

Commercial solar eclipse glasses. You might find these online or at a local nature center, or museum. Solar eclipse glasses are super easy to use, and they’re sort of cool-looking.

Closeup of smiling young woman's brightly sunlit face. She has on cardboard glasses with black lenses. — Certified eclipse glasses are a safe alternative for viewing. Check for availability at the EarthSky Store.

Local viewing at an astronomy club, park or nature center. We highly recommend this route for any kind of eclipse, any daytime solar viewing, or any nighttime astronomical event. If you watch among other amateur astronomers and casual sky gazers, you’ll have fun, learn about astronomy and get a great view of the objects and events going on in the sky. The NASA Night Sky Network has a list of local astronomy clubs. Here’s a search page from Go-astronomy.com. And here are astronomy clubs and societies affiliated with the Astronomical League, one of the most established confederations of amateur astronomers in the U.S.

Bottom line: Some tips for observing the sun safely, plus videos and links, here.

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October 14, 2023

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Astronomy Essentials

Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:

Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.