HOUSTON – The total solar eclipse is set to pay a visit to the United States with parts of Texas being in the path of totality on Monday.
How to watch: Special coverage of Monday’s ‘Great Texas Eclipse’ from KPRC
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Unfortunately, it looks like many parts of the state, including the Houston area, will be dealing with widespread cloud cover at the same time the eclipse is scheduled to start.
While it is not completely out of the question that some areas of the state may have breaks in the clouds, viewing the eclipse will not be a guarantee.
Here is what we know.
Eclipse timing
Before we dive into why clouds may disrupt people’s opportunity of viewing the eclipse, lets take a look at the timing of the eclipse.
We have taken the timing from Fredericksburg, Texas, which is one of the cities in the path of totality for Monday’s eclipse. The partial eclipse is scheduled to start at 12:15 p.m. with the sun being completely blocked and the total eclipse beginning at 1:33 p.m. The total eclipse will last about four and a half minutes before ending at 1:37 p.m. The partial eclipse is scheduled to end for Fredericksburg at 2:56 p.m.
Houston is just outside of the path of totality which means at it’s peak (1:40PM) only 94% of the sun will be covered by the moon.
Cloud cover forecast
As mentioned earlier, cloud cover threatens to ruin many people’s opportunity to view the eclipse.
The graphic above shows the path of totality for Monday’s total solar eclipse. That path goes across the Texas Hill Country, through parts of the DFW metroplex, and into East Texas.
Many areas, especially across the Hill Country, will see widespread cloud cover at the time the eclipse occurs. You can thank an incoming storm system for the cloud cover, and also for the threat of severe weather which will impact parts of the state over the next few days.
The Houston area may also be dealing with some rain at the same time the eclipse is supposed to happen. There is a possibility some areas, especially near and just to the south of the DFW metroplex, could see some breaks in the clouds which may allow for some limited viewing, but that is not a guarantee.
Solar eclipse viewing safety
If you do happen to get a glimpse of the eclipse through any breaks in cloud cover, there are some things you should remember to safely view this fascinating phenomenon.
Of course, you wouldn’t look directly at the sun on a normal day. Likewise, do not look directly into the sun on eclipse day. Also, know that sunglasses do not provide sufficient protection to safely look at the sun.
There are solar filters available which will provide the protection necessary to safely view the eclipse. A pinhole will also provide protection because the image is projected and thus people can indirectly view the sun and the eclipse when it happens.