With just a few weeks until the annual solar eclipse, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is recommending Texans make reservations if they hope to watch the cosmic event from one of the many state parks along the eclipse's path.
On Saturday, Oct. 14, an annular eclipse will pass over Texas on a NW to SE track from Midland-Odessa to Corpus Christi.
TPWD said there are 17 Texas State Parks along the path of greatest eclipse visibility and that visitors planning to visit state parks on Oct. 14 "are highly encouraged to reserve a day pass in advance since they will likely reach capacity."
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The annular eclipse is not to be confused with the total eclipse coming next April.
For an annular eclipse, the moon is a little farther away from the Earth, making it a little smaller in the sky. That size difference means the moon doesn't totally block out the sun and that when the moon passes between the Earth and our star it leaves a ring of fire around the moon.
In a total eclipse, the moon is closer to the Earth (larger in the sky) and blocks out the sun entirely.
For either event, you need to be wearing eye protection to look at the eclipse.
On Oct. 14, TPWD said, "The moon will begin to block the sun at about 10:20 a.m. with the ring of fire becoming visible around 11:40 a.m. along the Texas-New Mexico border. The eclipse will then travel southeastward across the state. The duration of totality will vary depending on your vantage point, ranging from a few seconds to five minutes. The closer you are to the eclipse's path, the longer you will be able to enjoy the ring of fire."
Due to anticipated popularity, TPWD said entry to the parks listed below on eclipse day will be restricted to those who pre-purchased day passes or camping permits. A state park pass does not guarantee your entry.
"The entire state will be able to see a significant partial eclipse from their own backyards, so if you can't get to a state park, visit Texas State Parks eclipse viewing webpage to learn how to make a pinhole viewer for out of this world family fun," TPWD said.\
STATE PARKS IN THE PATH OF ANNULAR ECLIPSE
- Big Spring
- Choke Canyon
- Devils River - Del Norte Unit
- Garner
- Goliad
- Goose Island
- Government Canyon
- Guadalupe River
- Hill Country
- Kickapoo Cavern
- Lake Corpus Christi
- Lost Maples
- Monahans Sandhills
- Mustang Island
- Old Tunnel
- San Angelo
- South Llano River
NASA 2023 & 2024 SOLAR ECLIPSE MAP
NASA has created a map showing the paths of both eclipses. To see their presentation on both the annular and total eclipse, watch the video below.
