When the solar eclipse starts at 1:27 p.m. on April 8 in Texas, Denton ISD students will be able to see it — and safely.
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science will donate 35,000 solar eclipse glasses so that each student in the district will get a chance to safely watch the moon block the sun with its shadow.
“This eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for North Texans, but it’s one that requires a little bit of planning to be able to do it safely,” said Dr. Linda Silver, the Eugene McDermott CEO of the museum. “Through our distribution of a million free safety glasses, including to all the students in Denton ISD, we’ve helped do some of that planning ahead of time to ensure members of our community can look to the sky and bear witness to a phenomena that won’t be seen here again until 2317.”
Reece Waddell, the communications coordinator for Denton ISD, confirmed that the Dallas museum has promised enough glasses for all students.
“Yes, many campuses are planning on taking students outside to view the eclipse,” he said.
The Great American Eclipse, a website maintained by a group of “eclipse chasers,” lists Texas as a good place to see the event and has information about the timeline and path of the moon on April 8.
“The total solar eclipse first enters Texas at the international border at 1:27 pm CDT leaves Texas at the Oklahoma and Arkansas borders at 1:49 pm CDT,” according to the site. “Through Texas, the speed of the Moon’s shadow will accelerate from about 1,580 miles per hour to about 1,850 miles per hour.”
The site’s team said that, while brief, the total solar eclipse is stunning.
“Simply put, a total eclipse of the sun is the most beautiful sight you will ever see in the sky,” the site reports on the Texas information page. “Nothing can prepare you for the amazing sight when the sky suddenly darkens and the sun’s corona shines in the sky.”
The Dallas-Fort Worth area will be a good spot to watch the eclipse, with the longest durations appearing for the residents of Eagle Pass, Uvalde, Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Llano, Lampasas, Killeen, Waco, Sulphur Springs and the southeastern suburbs of Dallas.
North Texans are among the lucky sky-gazers.
“The entire metropolitan area of Dallas and Fort Worth, a megalopolis of 7 million people, is entirely inside the path of totality,” according to the Great American Eclipse. “In fact, 12 million people in Texas reside within the path of totality, by far the largest of any state in the US.”
A spokesman for the Perot Museum said the organization is funding the glasses through a grant. The Denton ISD donation is valued at $15,000.