Dallas will be the first major U.S. city to witness the total solar eclipse next month. Here is everything you need to know:
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will move across the country. Dallas is ideally located directly in the path of totality: the track of the moon’s shadow moving across the Earth’s surface. As a result, residents of the metroplex will briefly experience darkened skies when the moon passes between our planet and the sun.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, weather permitting, here are the CDT times NASA says you can catch the event in the city.
- 12:23 p.m. – Partial eclipse begins.
- 1:40 p.m. – Total eclipse reached.
- 1:42 p.m. – Total eclipse maximum reached.
- 1:44 p.m. – Total eclipse ends.
- 3:02 p.m. – Partial eclipse ends.
The last solar eclipse visible from the United States was in 2017, and the next one after April will not be until 2044. Dallas itself has not been in the path of totality since 1878, nearly a century and a half ago. After April 8, the next total solar eclipse visible in the city will be in the year 2317, almost 300 hundred years from now.
If you decide to enjoy this exceedingly rare event, the city has several great events. The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is hosting a solar eclipse celebration that runs all day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Alternatively, Downtown Dallas is going all out with a solar eclipse party that starts on April 5 and runs through April 8. In addition to the main viewing event on the final day, expect art installations, film viewings, live music, and more.
Remember to only look at the eclipse while wearing protective eye gear. Luckily, hundreds of schools throughout North Texas are receiving one million pairs of safety glasses, courtesy of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. If you are not a student yourself, check out the American Astronomical Society’s list of safe eyewear.
