What time is Eclipse in Texas?

The Great Texas Eclipse: A Real Person’s Guide to Timing and Safe Viewing

Remember April 8, 2024? Texas was the place to be. A total solar eclipse swept across the state, and let me tell you, it was an experience. Millions of us were craning our necks, some inside the path of totality for that mind-blowing darkness, others catching a pretty cool partial show. But whether you saw the whole enchilada or just a slice, knowing when it happened and how to watch safely was key.

Eclipse Timing in Texas: Your City’s Moment in the Sun (or Lack Thereof)

The eclipse made its grand entrance into Texas down at the Mexico border around 1:27 PM CDT, then waved goodbye as it crossed into Oklahoma and Arkansas by 1:49 PM CDT. Now, the exact timing? That was a bit of a patchwork quilt across the state. Some cities got more totality than others. To give you a taste, here’s a rough idea of what went down in a few spots (all times in good ol’ Central Daylight Time):

• Eagle Pass: The sun started to dim around 12:10 PM, but the real magic happened between 1:27 PM and 1:31 PM.
• Kerrville: Things got interesting around 12:14 PM, with prime totality views from roughly 1:32 PM to 1:36 PM.
• Austin: The partial phase kicked off around 12:17 PM, and then…bam! Totality hit between 1:35:57 PM and 1:38:06 PM.
• Waco: The show began around 12:20 PM, with darkness falling from about 1:37 PM to 1:42 PM.
• Dallas: Around 12:23 PM, the moon started its work, and then the city went dark from 1:40 PM to 1:44 PM.
• Fort Worth: Not far behind, Fort Worth saw the partial eclipse at 12:22 PM, and totality from 1:40 PM to 1:43 PM.
• Houston: Okay, Houston didn’t get the full monty, but a 94.2% partial eclipse is still something to write home about!

Keep in mind, these are just ballpark figures. Depending on where you were standing, those times could have shifted by a few seconds. It’s all about perspective, right?

The Path of Totality: Where the Magic Happened

That path of totality, that’s where the real show was. A strip of land where the moon completely blocked out the sun. If you weren’t in it, you missed the full experience. Cities like Dallas and Austin were lucky ducks, right in the path. Houston, well, they got a pretty good consolation prize. And get this: the Moon’s shadow was flying across Texas, speeding up from around 1580 mph to a blistering 1850 mph! Talk about a cosmic rush!

Safe Viewing: Don’t Fry Your Eyeballs!

Seriously, folks, looking at the sun, even when it’s partially covered, is a recipe for disaster. You could end up with permanent eye damage, and nobody wants that. The only way to safely watch an eclipse is with those special ISO 12312-2 certified solar filters. You can find them in eclipse glasses or handheld viewers.

A few golden rules:

• ISO is your friend: Make sure those glasses or viewers are stamped with that ISO 12312-2 label. No label, no look!
• Give ’em a once-over: Before you put them on, check for any scratches or tears. If they’re damaged, toss ’em.
• Kids need supervision: Keep a close eye on the little ones to make sure they’re using the filters correctly.
• Optical devices are tricky: Never, ever look at the sun through a camera, telescope, or binoculars without a special solar filter attached. You’ll fry your eyes instantly.
• Totality is the exception: When the sun is completely blocked, and only then, you can take off your glasses and look directly. But the second that sun peeks out again, slap those filters back on!

No glasses? No problem!

If you couldn’t snag a pair of eclipse glasses, you could have tried the pinhole projection trick. Just poke a tiny hole in a piece of cardboard and project the sun’s image onto a surface. Old school, but it works!

All in all, the 2024 eclipse was a Texas-sized spectacle. A chance to see something truly amazing. And as long as everyone kept their peepers safe, it was an experience we’ll be talking about for years to come.