Looking up to see the solar eclipse on Saturday? Here’s what to expect in the Brazos Valley.

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – An annular eclipse is coming to town this weekend, and the Brazos Valley will get a nice view of it!

An annular eclipse is where the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, which causes the Sun to form a “ring of fire” around a darkened Moon. The annular eclipse can be viewed on a narrow path that sweeps across the Americas, and the surrounding areas will experience a partial eclipse.

While the Brazos Valley sits just east of this path of annularity, the partial eclipse we will see will look very similar to the full annular eclipse, due to our proximity to the path.

There will be about a 3-hour window to see the eclipse from the Brazos Valley. See below for the exact timeline of the partial eclipse.

The three hour viewing window opens at 10:25am and ends just after 1:34pm.

If you’re planning to watch the eclipse, it’s important to do so safely!! There are several ways to protect your eyes while viewing an eclipse. A convenient option is eclipse viewing glasses. Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and ought to comply with the international standard. No glasses? No problem! Another easy option is to make an eclipse viewer out of some household items.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to making your own eclipse viewer!

Supplies needed:

Cardboard box ( a shoe box works great!)Aluminum foilWhite paperScissorsTapeToothpick/push pin/nail ( anything that can poke a small hole in the aluminum foil)

Instructions:

Cut a small hole (about 1 inch x 1 inch) in one end of the shoebox. Tape a small piece of aluminum foil over the holeUse the toothpick/push pin/nail to poke a small hole in the aluminum foil.Tape the white paper on the inside of the box, on the opposite side of the hole with aluminum foil. (This provides a screen on which light coming in from the pin-hole will project the eclipse) Cut another small hole on the side of the box, adjacent to the viewing screen. (Once you cut it, make sure that you can look through it and see the white paper on the inside of the box!)

To use your eclipse viewer, simply position the aluminum foil hole towards the Sun, and by looking through the viewing hole on the side of the box, you will see light coming in from the pinhole projecting the eclipse on the white paper!

If you miss the partial eclipse this week, don’t fret! Another solar eclipse will be viewable from the Brazos Valley on April 8th, 2024.

Have fun and happy eclipse-watching!