Editor's note: This article Dallas Morning News coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse.Learn more about dallasnews.com/eclipse.
A once-in-a-lifetime experience in the Dallas-Fort Worth area will be held on Monday, April 8th. To see it, it is enough to look up with suitable eye protection.
On April 8th, a total solar eclipse will hit all of North America, and most of the D-FW area will be in the path of the total solar eclipse, where the moon will appear to completely cover the sun. Totality would last nearly four minutes in Dallas.
Dallas was last in the path of a total solar eclipse on July 29, 1878, and will not be in a total solar eclipse again until 2317.
It is safe to view the eclipse without protection during totality. Looking at the sun without eye protection can damage or destroy the cells in your retina that allow you to see, causing dark spots and distortions in your vision.
There are many ways to safely view the eclipse, but there's still time to get your eclipse glasses and observers. But it might sell out.
“It's like Thanksgiving dinner, right?” said Heather Appleby, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Dallas. “If you wait until the night before to buy your turkey and side dishes, you won't have many options to choose from.”
Can eclipse glasses be reused?
Washington, D.C. residents who watched October's annular solar eclipse or the 2017 solar eclipse may have some old glasses lying around. Appleby said these glasses are safe to use as long as they are not broken, distorted, scratched or punctured.
Functional eclipse glasses block out UV rays and nearly all visible light. Viewers should be unable to see anything but a bright light source, such as the sun or a halogen light bulb. If you put on your old eclipse glasses and see light shining through the window, that's a sign that you need to replace them.
Appleby says eclipse glasses are best stored in a dark, temperature-controlled, low-humidity place, such as inside a book.
The Eclipse viewer (a rectangular solar filter that you hold over your eyes) works similarly to glasses.
Order online from trusted sellers
There are many listings for eclipse glasses online, but there are also many fake ones. Experts recommend ordering glasses from a list of safe options on the American Astronomical Society's website. TotalEclipseDFW is one of his local resellers listed on his website where he sells glasses for $3 each on orders of 10 or more.
Mary Urquhart, a planetary scientist at the University of Texas at Dallas, says if a trusted online retailer says the glasses are out of stock, always check back as more may be available.
Before the 2017 total solar eclipse, fake eclipse glasses were rampant on Amazon, and the company issued refunds to customers who bought the fakes. Amazon has since cracked down on fake sellers, but experts warn that sellers from the American Astronomical Society's website may be a safer choice.
Glasses must comply with International Organization for Standardization safety guidelines. (The back of the glasses must be marked as meeting ISO 12312-2 requirements.)
NASA has not approved eclipse glasses, Urquhart said. One way he identifies fake pairs is to look for language that says the pair is “NASA certified” or “NASA approved.”
Find glasses at D-FW
According to the American Astronomical Society, reliable places to buy glasses directly are at retail stores like Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart, but availability is subject to availability. Several stores in the Washington D-FW area said the glasses were not in stock but could be ordered in the months leading up to the eclipse.
Warby Parker recently announced that it will be giving away free ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses at all stores from April 1st to April 8th, while supplies last.
Before ordering online from these retailers, check the product description to see if it's a brand on the American Astronomical Society's approved list. Some stores' online suppliers may carry different brands than those we physically stock.
Starting March 10, the Dallas Public Library will be handing out free eclipse glasses at all locations, said Melissa Dees, the library's community relations manager. One pair will be distributed to each person.
The Planetarium at the University of Texas at Arlington is selling eclipse glasses online for pickup on the spot.
The Frontier Aviation Museum in Dallas provides eclipse glasses to several area schools and sells eclipse glasses in its gift shop.
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science plans to distribute 1 million solar eclipse glasses in North Texas over the next several months. At least 14 area school districts will receive glass, including Dallas ISD, Lewisville ISD, Richardson ISD, Mansfield ISD, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Allen ISD, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and Alvarado ISD. School districts will decide how many glasses to distribute to which schools.
During the week leading up to the eclipse, the Perot Museum will send a TECH truck participating in community activities and handing out glasses at events.
The museum also sells eclipse glasses in its gift shop, and bulk orders of over 100 glasses are available for those interested. Museum visitors during Spring Break (March 9th through March 17th) will receive a free solar eclipse glass.
Glasses may be free or available for purchase at local solar eclipse events.
- Both the Perot Museum and the Dallas Arboretum's solar eclipse viewing events have reached capacity, according to their websites. Perot will give away 35,000 solar eclipse glasses at the viewing event at Klyde Warren Park.
- UTA Planetarium will be holding an event to sell glasses during the solar eclipse.
- All seven University of Dallas campuses will host free eclipse viewing events with solar observers.
- Several branches of the Dallas Public Library will also be hosting solar eclipse viewing parties with a limited number of free glasses.
Can I use a welding helmet to view a solar eclipse?
According to NASA, welding glass must have a shade of 12 or higher to safely view the sun. This tint is much darker than those commonly used for welding, so D-FW residents with older welding helmets should carefully check the tint number before use. Urquhart tends not to recommend welding helmets for eclipse viewing because many do not meet safety standards.
Still, the sun may be too bright to see through a shade 12 filter, and too dark to see through a higher filter like shade 14. On the other hand, shade 13 filters can be difficult to find, NASA says.
Create a DIY solar eclipse viewer
Can't find your solar eclipse glasses? No problem. There are several inexpensive ways to experience a solar eclipse.
You can observe a solar eclipse indirectly by standing under a tree and observing the shadows cast by the sunlight filtering through the trees. A similar effect can be achieved by punching holes in cardboard or index cards, holding up crackers in a colander, or intertwining your fingers.
In Dallas, the moon will begin to cover the sun on April 8 at approximately 12:23 p.m. Before totality begins, observers will see the Sun shrink until it disappears into the sky. Then either take off your glasses or look up from an indirect observer and set a timer based on how long totality lasts in your area, leaving time to put your glasses back on for the final stages of the eclipse. Put.
Aditi Ramakrishnan is a science reporting fellow at the Dallas Morning News. Her fellowship is supported by the University of Texas at Dallas. News makes all editorial decisions.
