DALLAS — A "Ring of Fire" annular solar eclipse crossed the United States and other parts of the world on Saturday morning.
An annular eclipse is when the moon passes between the Earth and sun and is at or near its farthest point of orbit from Earth.
It happened on Saturday, Oct. 14, and Texas was included in the path. The 100% coverage path across Texas included Midland-Odessa, San Antonio and Corpus Christi.
The DFW area got between 80% and 85% viewing coverage.
Where can I watch the solar eclipse in DFW?
Here was a list of watch parties throughout the metroplex:
- Curry Hall Lawn – 200 Avenue A, Denton, Texas, 7601 with UNT's Society of Physics Students
- Dallas Arboretum Solar Eclipse Event – 8525 Garland Rd., Dallas, Texas, 75218
- Perot Museum of Nature and Science – 2201 N. Field Street, Dallas, Texas, 75201
- Rafes Urban Astronomy Center – 2350 Tom Cole Rd., Ponder, Texas, 76259 with UNT's Department of Physics
- University of Texas at Arlington Planetarium – 701 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, Texas, 76019
PHOTOS: North Texans watch 'Ring of Fire' annular eclipse
What is a 'Ring of Fire' annular solar eclipse?
During a "Ring of Fire" annular eclipse, the moon is at its orbit farthest from Earth. Because it’s farther than it is during a total solar eclipse, it doesn’t cover the entire sun, leaving what appears to be a ring of the sun visible for those who are in the path. That's where the "Ring of Fire" eclipse got its name.
Best spots to watch the 'Ring of Fire' annular eclipse
If you're up for a road trip, Space.com lists New Braunfels as one of the Top 7 spots to see it in the southwestern United States. The website specifically mentions a cluster of superstores at I-35 and Highway 46.
Here are other locations across Texas and times in the path of the eclipse
- Midland: 10:18 a.m. through 1:21 p.m., with max eclipse beginning at 11:43 a.m.
- San Angelo: 10:20 a.m. through 1:25 p.m., with max eclipse beginning at 11:47 a.m.
- Kerrville: 10:22 a.m. through 1:30 p.m., with max eclipse beginning at 11:50 a.m.
- San Antonio: 10:23 a.m. through 1:32 p.m., with max eclipse beginning at 11:52 a.m.
- Corpus Christi: 10:26 a.m. through 1:38 p.m., with max eclipse beginning at 11:55 a.m.
If you don't want to go outside to see it, NASA is streaming the annular eclipse. Here's where you can access their live stream, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Central Time on October 14 and goes through 12:15 p.m. Central Time.
How to protect your eyes during an eclipse
It's not safe to look directly at an eclipse. If you do, you could cause instant damage to your eyes. That goes for cameras, telescopes or binoculars without special-purpose solar filters, too.
Regular sunglasses are not protection either. You need to use special social viewing glasses or a safe handheld viewer. And make sure the lense is not damaged or scratched.
If you don't have special eclipse glasses, you can use an indirect viewing method, like a pinhole projector which has a small opening that can project an image of the sun onto a surface.
When is the next eclipse?
A total solar eclipse will happen on April 8, 2024, and will also travel over several states, including Texas. In fact, the path of April's eclipse crosses the path of this year's October eclipse in Texas.
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