In Six months, two solar eclipses will occur and will cross Texas. This event is extremely rare to have in this particular area. As a consequence, Texas will be swarmed with many tourists from all around the nation and potentially from all over the world. Estimates
On September 18th, a presentation was made by the University of San Antonio who sent several educators. Dr Angela Speck, Professor and Department Head of Physics and Astronomy at UTSA along with two graduate students educated our students about eclipses. The presentation was done in groups of Pre-K-2nd, 3rd-6th, then for junior high and high school students.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is positioned between the sun and the Earth, causing its shadow to move across the Earth’s surface. There are two types of eclipses, the first is an annular eclipse.
An annular eclipse, from the word annulus (ring), occurs when the Moon covers only the center of the sun’s light. There is only but a ring made of light from the sun still visible.
The second type is known as a total eclipse which is when the moon totally covers the sun. Since the sun is enormous compared to the moon, a total eclipse can only occur when its orbit falls very close to the Earth. In a total eclipse, the sun’s corona (outer atmosphere of the sun) is only visible.
On October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse will begin over the Pacific Ocean and heads to the USA at Oregon at 08:04 AM Pacific time. After passing through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, the path of an annular solar eclipse bisects Texas and ends at 11:55:48 Central Standard Time. People close or in the middle of the eclipse’s path of annular solar eclipse will see the dramatic view of the Sun as a bright ring for an estimated five minutes.
On April 8, 2024, Utopia will experience a total solar eclipse that first reaches the Pacific coast of Mexico at Mazatlan. After crossing Mexico, the total solar eclipse first touches Texas at Eagle Pass.
Here in Utopia, at approximately 12:13 PM, the moon will start to cover the sun and will slowly track over it until it covers the sun completely at 1:30 PM. After four minutes and 24 seconds of “totality” (where the moon covers the sun entirely), it will then drift away slowly, and the last of the moon covering any part of the sun at all will occur at 2:59 PM. The time that the moon first starts obscuring the sun until it departs on the other side will be about two hours and forty minutes.
Vanderpool will experience the longest period of totality of any location in the Hill Country. Total coverage of the sun by 1:30:51 and will last for 4 minutes and 26 seconds.
October 14, 2023, falls on a Saturday, but the eclipse on April 8, 2024, will be on a Monday, and students are scheduled to be in school that day. Utopia students and residents will truly be able to experience a once-in-lifetime event with two eclipses occurring in the area in less than six months. All residents will need to be sure they are fully stocked with prescriptions, fuel, groceries, feed, and supplies for all animals, and cash-on-hand because ATMs may not work.