Two Eclipses Across Texas

Over the next year, Americans will have the opportunity to experience not one, but two solar eclipses. On October 14, 2023, an annular eclipse will travel from Oregon to Texas, encircling the Moon with a brilliant “ring of fire.” And on April 8, 2024, a total eclipse will travel from Texas to Maine, with the Moon surrounded by the Sun’s delicate corona.

Texas will be a great spot to experience both of these eclipses – it sits under the X of their paths and typically enjoys clear, cloud-free weather on the dates these eclipses will occur.

Jump to a section of this page:

What Is a Solar Eclipse?

How to View a Solar Eclipse Safely

Where to View the Eclipses

When to View the Eclipses

Experience the October 14, 2023, Eclipse with Us

Experience the April 8, 2024, Total Eclipse with Us

Training Sessions: How to Host an Eclipse Viewing Event

Additional Resources

Connect with an Eclipse Expert

 

What Is a Solar Eclipse?

When the Moon orbits Earth, it sometimes moves between the Sun and Earth. When it does, the Moon casts a shadow on Earth that either fully or partially blocks the Sun’s light in some areas. This is a solar eclipse.

We are able to experience solar eclipses because of an incredible astronomical coincidence: the apparent sizes of our Sun and Moon are both the same when seen from Earth. This is because, although the Sun is roughly 400 times larger in diameter than the Moon, the Moon is also 400 times closer to us than the Sun.

There are four types of solar eclipses:

  1. Total solar eclipse: The Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, completely covering the Sun’s disk along a narrow path. You must be within the narrow path of the Moon’s shadow to experience a total solar eclipse.
  2. Annular solar eclipse: The Moon’s distance from Earth varies by roughly 31,000 miles (50,000 km). If an eclipse occurs when the Moon is farther away than average, the Moon isn’t quite wide enough to completely cover the Sun. That leaves a “ring of fire” around the Moon.
  3. Hybrid solar eclipse: On rare occasions, the beginning and end of a solar eclipse can be annular, with a total eclipse sandwiched between.
  4. Partial solar eclipse: When the Moon blocks only a part of the Sun it creates a partial eclipse. All solar eclipses include partial phases, while some eclipses offer only partial coverage, with the Moon-Sun alignment not quite precise enough for a total or annular period.

How to View a Solar Eclipse Safely

The only time it is safe to look at the sun with your naked eye is during the brief total phase (totality) of a total solar eclipse, such as the one that will occur on April 8, 2024. During a partial or annular solar eclipse, such as the one on October 14, 2023, there is no time when it is safe to look directly at the Sun without using adequate protection.

Adequate protection includes:

  • Eclipse glasses and viewers: Make sure they meet an international standard of eye protection (ISO 12312-2), are certified, and are free of scratches or other flaws.
  • Welder’s glass: No. 13 or 14 welder’s glass provide both protection and visibility.

Visit the American Astronomical Society’s website to learn about eclipse eye safety.

Where to View the Eclipses

When choosing a viewing location, consider:

  • Weather: Check if the location historically has clear, cloud-free skies on the date of the eclipse. The night before, check the forecast and have an alternate viewing site in mind if yours will be clouded out.
  • Lodging: Hotels along the eclipse path (especially the total eclipse in April) will fill up quickly. Book yours well in advance.
  • Traffic: Traffic will be heavy (especially for the total eclipse in April), so plan your route in advance and allow plenty of time to reach your viewing site.

When to View the Eclipses

These interactive maps let you look up when the solar eclipses will be visible (if at all) from any given location:

Experience the October 14, 2023, Annular “Ring of Fire” Solar Eclipse with Us

McDonald Observatory and UT Austin representatives will be onsite for eclipse events in:

  • Midland: McDonald Observatory staff will host family-friendly eclipse activities and provide free solar viewers at Blakemore Planetarium at the Museum of the Southwest. The event will also include talks by retired NASA astronaut John Herrington, and activities provided by NuMinds Enrichment and Texas Tech’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.
  • Fort Davis: Although we will only see a partial annular eclipse, we are preparing for visitors who want to experience it at McDonald Observatory. The visitors center will open at 10 a.m. to allow access during the eclipse, which starts at 10:18 a.m. and reaches maximum at 11:44 a.m. We will have telescopes set up for solar viewing, educational activities and demos, and a livestream of the eclipse from Blakemore Planetarium in Midland. General Admission includes an eclipse viewer and all eclipse activities. Tours on October 14 will not visit the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, but guests may access the telescope gallery during General Admission hours.
  • Austin: Austin is also outside of the path of annularity. But that doesn’t mean its view of the partial eclipse won’t be memorable. For anyone who finds themselves on campus, The University of Texas at Austin will hold a public event with interactive demos, telescopes, food trucks, and science-themed tunes from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the main mall south of the UT Tower.
  • Texas Coast: Additional University viewing events will be held at the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas and the Bay Education Center in Rockport.

Experience the April 8, 2024, Total Solar Eclipse with Us

McDonald Observatory and UT Austin representatives will be onsite for eclipse events in:

*Parts of Austin and all of Fort Davis are outside the path of totality and will only see partial eclipses. We recommend that you travel into the path of totality to experience the full effect. 

Be sure to check in advance with these and any other event locations for information on entry requirements, parking/transportation, and more. Eclipse viewings are likely to draw a crowd!

Training Sessions: How to Host an Eclipse Viewing Event

McDonald Observatory is providing online training (via Zoom) for K-12 educators, community volunteers, and others who are planning to host their own viewing events. Workshops cover the science of eclipses, how to experience them safely, and tips for hosting an event.

After the workshop, McDonald Observatory will send educational materials to attendees. Some event locations will be selected to receive physical materials including eclipse viewers and StarDate Eclipse Guides.

Upcoming sessions:

  • Tuesday, October 3, 1:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, October 4, 9 a.m.
  • Wednesday, October 4, 12 p.m.
  • Tuesday, October 10, 10 a.m.
  • Tuesday, October 10, 12:30 p.m.

 

 

Additional Resources

 

StarDate Radio (produced by McDonald Observatory) will also create a special feature audio program about the eclipse that will be distributed to event partners throughout the state along with Public Service Announcements to help promote and educate a large audience about this special event.

Training sessions and resources are available thanks to generous support from the Abell-Hanger Foundation and Friends of McDonald Observatory. 

Connect with an Eclipse Expert

  • Eclipse Event Planners: To request for an astronomer to speak at your upcoming eclipse event, contact lara@astro.as.utexas.edu. Please include information about the event time and location, any travel or lodging provided, and other relevant details. Due to the large number of requests, we are unable to provide speakers for all events.
  • Media and Press: To request an interview with an astronomer for an upcoming news story, contact emily.howard@austin.utexas.edu.
  • Teachers and Educators: To discuss eclipse training sessions, contact teachers@mcdonaldobservatory.org.
  • Visit the Contact page of our website for additional ways to connect with us.