On Monday, April 8, a rare solar eclipse will traverse the North American continent, passing through Mexico and the United States before ending in Canada A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon's passage directly between the sun and earth completely blocks out the stars, darkening the sky as if at dawn or dusk

According to NASA, this eclipse is the first of its kind in quite some time, and the next time a total solar eclipse will be visible in the United States is predicted to be in 2044 As with other total solar eclipses, NASA recommends that those who wish to view the eclipse in person wear safety "eclipse goggles"

The moon is predicted to begin crossing the sun at 11:07am PT / 2:07pm EDT in Mexico and move fairly rapidly across the continent, ending at 5:16pm NDT (1:16pm PT / 4:16pm EDT) in Newfoundland, Canada The "total path" includes 13 US states, 6 Canadian provinces, and all of Mexico

Unfortunately for eclipse watchers living elsewhere, they will not be able to see the sky darken at all, but there are (thankfully) several live streams where they can watch this astronomical phenomenon from the comfort of their couch

Depending on where you live, the eclipse will begin at 7:07 PM BST on April 8 in the UK and at 4:07 AM AEST on Tuesday, April 9 in Australia

NASA's live stream of the total solar eclipse will begin at 10 am Japan time on April 9 / 1 pm AEST on April 9 / 6 pm AEST on April 9 / 3 am AEST on April 9 The space agency will stream views from various telescopes, provide expert commentary, and host interactive live chats

A detailed description of the event by TimeAndDatecom is already live on the site, but the live stream will feature animations and maps, which can be viewed from the comfort of your home

If you plan to watch the live stream and you are not located in the United States, your best bet is to channel NASA's live stream

Viewers in the US and Canada can also stream the eclipse on TV channels such as CNN, PBS, and ABC, as well as TV apps, or watch the "Eclipse Across America" special from 11am PT / 2pm EDT on Disney Plus and Hulu at You can also watch