Environment
Central Texas prepares for April eclipse
See the solar eclipse
Path of totality
Airbnbs have been reserved for months. School districts across Central Texas—including Liberty Hill, Florence and Jarrell ISDs—have canceled classes on April 8 to keep parents and students o the roads during the event. “The county is worried that there is going to be gridlock on the roads, and we’re going to have trouble running our buses and having parent pickup during that time,” Liberty Hill ISD Superintendent Steven Snell said in May, when the district announced its 2023-24 calendar. Georgetown ISD students will be in school April 8, and the district has eclipse activities planned. While viewing events are scheduled across the county, ocials are encouraging spectators, especially those who reside in the area, to watch the eclipse from home and stay o the roads. “Just stay home and plan things with your family and neighbors,” Amsler said.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to travel to the Texas Hill Country to watch the moon completely block the face of the sun on April 8, said Dawn Davies, the Night Sky program coordinator at Hill Country Alliance. The rarity of the event has garnered a lot of interest both from tourists and area residents. Total solar eclipses, on average, are visible somewhere on Earth approximately every 18 months. However, Davies said a total solar eclipse recurring in the same place happens every 350-400 years or so. “We are not going to see an eclipse pass through the Hill Country like this for generations upon generations,” Davies said. Ocials have noticed an increase in bookings for campsites, hotels and Airbnbs. Katie Amsler, Liberty Hill’s director of community engagement and communication, said the city’s only lodging place, River Ranch Inn, is fully booked, and the city’s
TOTAL ECLIPSE MAP
DALLAS
WACO
GEORGETOWN
FREDERICKSBURG
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
• Get to viewing location early Safe viewing
• Limit travel on major roadways • Do not look at the partial eclipse phase with bare eyes, cameras or unsafe £ilters, such as sunglasses
SOURCES: NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION, TEXAS OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION, WILLIAMSON COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
What viewers should know
When to watch Times for viewing and glasses are listed for Williamson County but vary by location.
The solar eclipse can be seen in Williamson County from 12:18 p.m.-2:58 p.m., with the duration of totality lasting 3 minutes and 6 seconds. Experts are recommending spectators view the solar eclipse with ISO Certied eclipse glasses or cards until maximum coverage of the sun—or totality—is reached, when it is then safe to observe without protective wear. Nonprot organization Friends of River Ranch County Park will hold an eclipse viewing event at the Liberty Hill park. Southwestern University in Georgetown will also hold a viewing party.
Partial eclipse begins: 12:18:08 P.M. (need glasses)
Full eclipse begins: 1:36:21 P.M. (no glasses)
Full eclipse ends:
Partial eclipse ends: 2:58:52 P.M. (need glasses)
Maximum eclipse: 1:37:54 P.M. (no glasses)
1:39:27 P.M. (need glasses)
SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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