Much of the United States will experience a solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, including North Texas. However, North Texas will not be in the path of totality of this eclipse, thus they will not experience the total solar eclipse. The path of totality, the area where locations will be in the center of the moon’s shadow blocking the sun, will track in a narrow 70 mile wide strip across the states of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In this area, daylight will become as dark as night time. The eclipse is expected to begin at 10:15 am PDT (12:15 pm CDT) and end at 2:48 pm EDT (1:48 pm CDT). The eclipse will take about one hour and forty minutes to cross the nation.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and the earth are in direct alignment. It is only viewable from earth in a rather small area. North Texas, again, will not be in that path, but will see a pretty good partial eclipse. Viewers of the solar eclipse should never look directly at the sun with the naked eye. Special viewing glasses must be worn to protect the eyes while viewing the eclipse to prevent permanent eye damage.

Please see the animation by NASA below for further details of the path of the upcoming eclipse. The next total solar eclipse viewable from the United States will occur on April 8, 2024. North Texas will be in the path of totality of the 2024 eclipse.