The countdown to totality ticks on, and with two days left until the total eclipse, some are pitching up their tents for a whole weekend experience.
“Sleeping bag, sleeping pad, I got my silk pillowcase," said Gillian Cole from Dallas, "and of course, I got my eclipse glasses."
Cole set up a tent at Samuell Farm in Mesquite on Saturday for the Dallas Park and Recreation Department's Totality Dallas event.
The eclipse celebration includes educational activities, outdoor activities, food trucks, a DJ, and bounce houses.
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“We got three kids, so we’re entertaining them and there’s lots to do and run around and it’s great," said Jamie Fagan.
She and her partner, Chris Fagan, drove their RV down from Rowlett with their three girls, who were well-prepped on what to expect on Monday.
“It’s an awesome opportunity. We want to be part of it," Chris said.
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Experts from the U.S. National Science Foundation were on-site to educate people on how to view the eclipse safely. They advised people to wear glasses during the partial phases and only take them off during totality.
“I usually tell people like, look away, put them on, and safely view the eclipse," said Noah Egge with the Foundation.
He said the park is a special spot for viewing.
"You don’t have buildings around, so you’ll have a greater view of the open sky," Egge said.
And, even if it's cloudy and you can't see the corona or ring of light, Egge said the experience may still include an animal sighting.
“The great thing is that even if, even if you can’t see totality specifically, you’ll still be able to experience it because it’ll get dark, you’ll have animals kind of coming out thinking that it’s nighttime," he said.
Egge encouraged people to watch the eclipse online if they can't in person. The Foundation will have a livestream here.
A map at the park entrance marks travelers' presence from out of town and out of the country.
Organizers said more people are expected, with around 300 on Sunday and 4,000 on Monday.
"This is going to be crowded, yeah," said Angela O'Connell with Dallas Park and Recreation.
They are keeping an eye on possible severe weather.
“We’ve been in touch with the national weather service, they’ve been sending us updates daily as to whether or not we need to cancel the event or make contingency plans, but at this point, they haven’t instructed us to do so," she said.
O'Connell said camping will close at 5:00 p.m. Monday, hopefully before storms are expected to roll in.
She said organizers are prepared to tear down their setup in the rain, but most campers should be out by then.
But Cole is prepared, just in case.
"I got rain boots and umbrella, just in case. I hoping that it doesn’t rain, though. I know it’s real cloudy, but I’m hoping for the best," she said.
A solar eclipse will occur over North Texas for several hours on April 8, 2024. The partial eclipse will begin at 12:23 p.m. and end at 3:02 p.m. Totality will last only minutes, from about 1:40 p.m. until 1:44 p.m., depending on location. The event is truly a rare occasion. Another total solar eclipse won't occur over the United States until 2044 and the National Weather Service says there won't be another in our region until 2317.
MAP OF SOLAR ECLIPSE PATH
LOOKING AT THE ECLIPSE? USE PROPER EYE PROTECTION!
Anyone looking at the solar eclipse on April 8 should view the partial eclipse ONLY with proper eye protection.
Looking at the sun during a partial eclipse can lead to solar retinopathy, a condition that occurs when someone looks directly at the sun and damages the back of the eye or the retina. The damage from solar retinopathy can be permanent and lead to an overall reduction in the sharpness of a person's vision.
Sunglasses don’t offer enough protection. Solar glasses meeting the ISO 12312-2 international standard are thousands of times darker than sunglasses.
Astronomer Rick Fienberg told NBC 5 Responds that simply looking for a product with the ISO designation printed on the product isn’t enough because anyone can print that number on a pair of glasses. Fienberg is a volunteer with the American Astronomical Society’s Solar Eclipse Task Force and maintains this list of suppliers and distributors of solar viewing glasses and equipment.
Plan ahead, but if you can’t find enough eclipse viewers for each person in your family then make plans to share.
If you have eclipse glasses from a previous eclipse, look them over to make sure the filters are not torn, scratched, or punctured. If filters are coming loose from their cardboard or plastic frames, don’t use them.
If you don’t have glasses or equipment, there are indirect ways to view the eclipse. Check out this page for instructions.
Once in totality, it’s safe to look at the moon and corona without special glasses but ONLY while the moon completely covers the sun.
