AUSTIN (KXAN) — Central Texans are in for a treat Oct. 14 as the region bears witness to an annular eclipse, the first of two eclipses poised to pass over the Central Texas region within the next seven months.
An annular eclipse happens when the moon passes over the sun but leaves a ring of fire visible around its edges. Austin isn’t in the path of totality for this annular eclipse, but approximately 88% of light will be blocked out by it.
The eclipse will peak at 11:54 a.m., according to the University of Texas in Austin’s Department of Astronomy.
To commemorate the natural phenomenon, several communities are slated to celebrate with community events.
Junction, Texas will be home to the Texclipse Music Festival Oct. 13-14. The event will feature live music, a chili cook-off, a songwriters competition, community vendors, contests and other elements. The entire natural event will take approximately three hours, but annularity will last right around five minutes, according to The Exploratorium, a San Francisco-based science, technology and arts museum.
Elsewhere, The Science Mill in Johnson City will extend its hours for residents to witness the annular eclipse at the museum on Oct. 14. The museum will still open on Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with regular ticket pricing for entry. More details on the museum are available online.
Know of an event not listed here? Let us know! Email us at ReportIt@kxan.com.
[#item_full_content]