After 'ring of fire' eclipse, Texas gears up for total solar eclipse in April
Texas towns of Rocksprings, Kerryville, Junction and Uvalde are within the path of totality for the April 8 total solar eclipse.
San Antonio in crossroads for total solar eclipse in April
After experiencing the "ring of fire" from the October annular solar eclipse, San Antonio will be in the crossroads for a total solar eclipse in April. Planetarium Coordinator Michelle Risse with the Scobee Education Center at San Antonio College explains what the planetarium has planned for the next Great American Eclipse.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – After witnessing the spectacular "ring of fire" solar eclipse in October, Texas is preparing for a total solar eclipse in six months, considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
On Saturday, the annular solar eclipse passed over San Antonio, including historic landmarks such as The Alamo, wowing viewers with the "ring of fire" the eclipse is known for.
Planetarium Coordinator Michelle Risse with the Scobee Education Center at San Antonio College said the clouds parted just in time for eclipse watchers to see the maximum eclipse known as annularity.
SOLAR ECLIPSE: ‘RING OF FIRE’ DAZZLES SKYGAZERS ACROSS TEXAS, SOUTHWEST
"At first, we had a lot of cloud cover, and people were getting tense. But then the clouds dissipated just shortly before the annularity hit, and you could just hear the excitement roar as the clouds opened up so we could see the annular eclipse," Risse said.
Risse said more than 3,000 people came out to the planetarium's La Fiesta de Sol event to witness 90% of the Sun briefly disappear behind the Moon.
![People watch the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023 in San Antonio,]()
Image 1 of 9People watch the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023, in San Antonio, Texas at the Alamo. (Image: Robert Ray/FOX Weather) ( )
![People watch the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas at the Alamo.]()
Image 2 of 9People watch the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas at the Alamo. (Image: Robert Ray/FOX Weather) ( )
![FOX Weather's Robert Ray sets up to capture the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas at the Alamo. (Image: Robert Ray/FOX Weather)]()
Image 3 of 9FOX Weather's Robert Ray sets up to capture the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas at the Alamo. (Image: Robert Ray/FOX Weather) ( )
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Image 4 of 9The moon crosses the sun during the annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023, as seen from the Astronomical Observatory of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) in Tegucigalpa. (Photo by Orlando SIERRA / AFP) (Photo by ORLANDO SIERRA/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 5 of 9The "ring of fire" effect caused during the annular eclipse of the Sun over Albuquerque, New Mexico, on October 14, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![The Moon crosses in front of the Sun over Albuquerque, New Mexico, during an annular eclipse on October 14, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)]()
Image 6 of 9The Moon crosses in front of the Sun over Albuquerque, New Mexico, during an annular eclipse on October 14, 2023. (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)
![Partial eclipse seen from Florida]()
Image 7 of 9Partial eclipse seen from Melbourne, Florida (@NWSMelbourne)
![Cloud cover over the eclipse in Washington]()
Image 8 of 9Cloud cover over the eclipse, as seen in Seattle, Washington. Oct. 14, 2023. (@NWSSeattle / X)
![FOX Weather's Robert Ray sets up to capture the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas at the Alamo.]()
Image 9 of 9FOX Weather's Robert Ray sets up to capture the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas at the Alamo. (Image: Robert Ray/FOX Weather) ( )
X marks the spot in Texas
Part of San Antonio will again be in the path of a solar eclipse in April.
A total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, passing over Mexico, the U.S., and Canada, putting Central Texas in the crosshairs of two solar eclipses in six months.
A map showing where the Moon’s shadow will cross the U.S. during the 2023 annular solar eclipse and 2024 total solar eclipse. (Image: NASA)
(NASA)
The NASA map above shows the path of the Oct. 14, 2023, annular eclipse and the upcoming total solar eclipse in April 2024.
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth at its closest point in its elliptical orbit of the Earth. During a total eclipse, the Moon will completely block the face of the Sun, and only the solar corona will be visible. Totality is the only time during a solar eclipse when it's safe to remove your solar eclipse glasses.
Risse said the Scobee Education Center is already preparing for the big event. The college will partner with Northwest Vista College in San Antonio for another eclipse celebration.
"The planetarium is not in the path of totality because, as you can see on the map, it bisects San Antonio. So the west side of San Antonio is in the path of totality, but not the east side," she said. "And since we're downtown San Antonio, we have to go to the west side where our sister colleges and we're going to host a big event there."
Rocksprings, Kerryville, Junction and Uvalde are all within the path of totality for April 8.
Solar eclipse visible from Kerrville, Texas
(NASA)
Now is the time to start planning if you want to see the total solar eclipse in person. Risse said the excitement is already building for the next eclipse over Texas.
"I know Kerryville has been inundated by people across the United States to make a trip down there because they want to be in the path of totality and get the most of it," Risse said. "But ultimately, if you can find a good place around the path of totality across the United States, please go. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
April’s eclipse will be the last chance to witness a total solar eclipse in the U.S. until August 2045.