Texas annular, total eclipse upcoming

Two opportunities are upcoming to view an eclipse in the state of Texas. Across portions of the state an annular eclipse will occur next weekend and a total eclipse will occur in April 2024.

Texas will have two eclipses within a year, one on Saturday, Oct. 14 and the other April 8, 2024. Both eclipses will not touch Young County, but the 2024 total eclipse will extend over Fort Worth.

Annular eclipse – Oct. 14, 2023

An annular solar eclipse will be visible Saturday, Oct. 14 in North, Central and South America. During the annular eclipse, the moon will cover part of the sun in a path from Midland/Odessa to Corpus Christi.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, during the annular eclipse the moon will begin to block the sun around 10:20 a.m. Oct. 14. The ring of fire will appear around 11:41 a.m. along the Texas-New Mexico border and follow a path southeast across Texas.

Depending on location, the eclipse will last from a few seconds to five minutes. The closer to the middle of the eclipse path, the longer the viewing experience.

Total eclipse – April 8, 2024

A total solar eclipse will be visible April 8, 2024 over Mexico, the United States and Canada. A total solar eclipse is when the moon passes between the sun and Earth and completely blocks the face of the sun.

According to TPWD, the total eclipse totality, the period in which the moon completely covers the sun, will begin at 1:30 p.m. near Del Rio and trace a line north across Texas. The path will extend over Fort Worth, but not reach Young County.

Totality will last from a few seconds to around four-and-a-half minutes, depending on where the viewer is located. Viewers will have to be in the path of totality to see the full eclipse.

Viewing an eclipse

The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed, partially eclipsed, or annually eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters such as “eclipse glasses” or handheld solar viewing devices, according to NASA.

Eclipse glasses can be purchased or viewers can use an indirect observation method such as a pinhole viewer.

Solar filters should be inspected before use and should be discarded if scratched, punctured, torn or otherwise damaged. Eclipse glasses should be worn over eyeglasses. Children should always be supervised while using solar filters.

Do not look at the sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device or look through such devices while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer in front of your eyes.

For more information about the upcoming eclipses, visit tpwd.texas.gov.