ABC News and Nat Geo Hosting Solar Eclipse TV Special

On April 8th there will be a solar eclipse with a path of totality that will allow roughly 32 million people across North America to experience the event and for those who happen to not be directly in the path — or aren’t able to step outside to enjoy the celestial event — they’ll be able to watch it on television. According to Variety, ABC News and Nat Geo are teaming up to cover the solar eclipse for a two-hour special, Eclips Across America, set to run across various Disney linear and streaming outlets. The simulcast will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET on ABC, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild, Disney+ and Hulu (on the ABC News Live channel).

The special will feature hosts World News Tonight anchor David Muir and ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis both reporting live from Burlington, Vermont. They are to be assisted by Nat Geo’s Mariana van Zeller and Nat Geo Explorers photographer Cristina Mittermeier as well as astrophotographer Babak Tafreshi and astrophysicists Jedidah Isler and Ved Chirayath. The special will go from locatioin to location following the eclipse as it moves through different cities and will feature live remotes from ten different North American cities as they experience 100 percent totality. A list of the cities and approximate times of totality are below. The next such solar eclipse — that will see North America experience totality over a similarly long path — won’t take place until 2045.

Mazatlán, Mexico (approx. 2:07-2:11 p.m. ET)

Del Rio, Texas (approx. 2:28-2:32 p.m. ET)

Dallas, Texas (approx. 2:40-2:44 p.m. ET)

Russellville, Ark. (approx. 2:51-2:54 p.m. ET)

Carbondale, Ill. (approx. 2:59-3:05 p.m. ET)

Indianapolis, Ind. (approx. 3:06-3:09 p.m. ET)

Cleveland, Ohio (approx. 3:13-3:17 p.m. ET)

Niagara Falls, N.Y. (approx. 3:18-3:22 p.m. ET)

Burlington, Vt. (approx. 3:26-3:29 p.m. ET)

Houlton, Maine (approx. 3:32-3:35 p.m. ET)

“We are thrilled to partner with National Geographic on an unprecedented, multiplatform watch event for this highly anticipated natural phenomenon,” Reena Mehta, SVP of streaming and digital content for ABC News, said in a statement. “Bringing audiences together across multiple Disney platforms on all devices will ensure that no one misses a moment live or on demand.”

“This collaboration between Nat Geo and ABC is a dream come true,” said Tom McDonald, EVP of unscripted for National Geographic Content. “With Nat Geo’s 136-year expertise in factual storytelling combined with trusted anchors from the country’s leading news source, ABC News, this partnership is unmatched. I can think of no better way to bring this thrilling event to audiences.”

Will you be tuning in to watch the eclipse? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.