Skies should be clear Monday morning and afternoon, when Northeast Texas experiences a rare solar eclipse. Mostly sunny skies with a very low chance of rain mean good viewing; temperatures should be between 75 and 95 throughout the course of the eclipse.
While the region won’t get the full eclipse, NASA eclipse maps show that the area between Dallas and Tyler will experience a 75 percent eclipse, with just the lower right corner of the sun still poking through.
According to NASA, the eclipse will begin at 11:40 a.m. in Northeast Texas and last until 2:40 p.m. The maximum eclipse should occur at 1:10 p.m.
The watchword for experiencing a solar eclipse, of course, is to not look at it with unprotected eyes.
Where to view the eclipse
You can view Monday’s eclipse anywhere the sun is visible, but some libraries in the region are hosting viewing events with short education programs or fun facts, refreshments, and free eclipse viewing glasses.
- Bonham Public Library, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The library will provide up to 200 pairs of viewing glasses for free and provide refreshments.
- Rockwall County Library, 1215 E. Yellowjacket lane, Rockwall. The Rockwall County Library will host a come-and-go eclipse viewing day Monday, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rockwall’s own NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, Max Corneau will bring solar telescopes and eclipse glasses to the Rockwall County Library for a safe and enriching astronomical experience, according to the library’s Facebook page.
- Dallas Public Library. Several branches of the Dallas library system will host viewing events. Viewing glasses will be available while supplies last. Click here for a breakdown of viewing events at the different branches.
The Commerce Public Library said it has a single pair of viewing glasses that visitors could share to get a quick look at the eclipse, but there is no viewing event scheduled for the library.
Safely viewing a solar eclipse
The first rule of viewing a solar eclipse is to never look directly at a solar eclipse. Always protect your eyes. Even during a full solar eclipse the intensity of the sun’s light ringing the moon will burn retinas.
The best way to view a solar eclipse is with special, super-dark glasses made specifically for the event. Do not use sunglasses, they are nowhere near dark enough to protect your eyes, even “just a glance.”
Alternatives to wearing special glasses (which are hard to come by now) include:
- Build an old-school cereal box viewer. A cereal box, some white paper, and a pair of scissors are pretty much all you need to get a glimpse of the solar eclipse. NASA has a handy (very understandable) step-by-step guide to how to make a cereal box eclipse viewer.
- Turn on the TV. If cereal box construction is not for you, you can still see the full eclipse on your nearest screen. National networks, including CNN and the Weather Channel will cover the solar eclipse on television and on their websites.
Taking photos of the eclipse?
Unless you have special protection for your equipment, it might be best to not try and photograph a solar eclipse. This is the sun, after all, and pointing camera lenses directly at it can cause sunrays to magnify inside your camera.
Also, if you don’t have a digital camera with its own viewing screen, it’s hard to get a great angle on a solar eclipse without looking through the camera’s viewfinder. Never do that, it’s like looking at the sun directly.
