90% of Eclipse Will be Visible Here

A total solar eclipse will pass over the area on Monday, April 8.

The auspicious event is expected to attract huge crowds along the path of totality where the Moon covers the Sun completely. That area lies just to the north and west of Fayette County, roughly paralleling the Interstate 35 corridor.

The best spots to view the eclipse are the west side of San Antonio, Austin, Waco and Dallas. Folks in Fayette County should see about a 90 percent eclipse.

According the NASA, a partial eclipse will begin to appear around 12:23 p.m. The totality will begin at 1:40 p.m., with a maximum eclipse at 1:42 p.m. The totality ends at 1:44 p.m. and a partial eclipse will persist until around 3:02 p.m. Those times are based on an observation point in Dallas and may vary slightly at other points along the path in Texas.

NASA also warns observers to never look at the eclipse directly without specialized eye protection. Nor should you look at the eclipse through binoculars, telescopes, or camera lenses without a special- purpose solar filter. Doing so will cause instant severe eye injury.

Regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the sun.