In 2017, we experienced a partial Solar Eclipse in Round Rock.
This image is the light of the eclipse focused through a binocular onto a sheet of paper so that you can see the silhouette of the moon passing in front of the sun.
The smaller images are a fixed exposure showing the full brightness of the day and the maximum shadow of the eclipse.
Get ready for October 2023 and April 2024, we’ll have some great eclipses nearby in Texas!
Solar Eclipses
Just as a Lunar Eclipse occurs when the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon line up, a Solar Eclipse occurs when the Sun, the Moon and the Earth line up. And when the Moon gets directly between the Earth and the Sun, it casts its shadow on the Earth during the daytime.
The Moon’s orbit is not exactly circular leading to super moons and smaller moons giving us Total Eclipses and Annular Eclipses.
The Total Eclipse is when the Moon is large enough to completely cover the Sun, and we see only the corona flare of the Sun peeking out from the edges.
The Annular Eclipse is when the Moon is a bit further away from us in its orbit, leaving a fiery ring of light from the Sun around the Moon.
Experiment!
The exciting news is that Texas is in store for one of each of these in the next couple of years and you can see the difference for yourself.
No flight to an exotic foreign country needed, just a short daytrip to get to the “sweet spot” of the Moon’s shadow.
The Annular Solar Eclipse will pass directly over San Antonio on October 14th 2023.
The Total Solar Eclipse will pass over the hill country on April 8th 2024.
Don't miss them and be sure to wear the special eclipse viewing glasses to keep your eyes safe!