Dallas Arboretum will host thousands to watch the total solar eclipse, including NASA
DALLAS - The Dallas Arboretum is one of the many places in North Texas hosting a watch party for Monday’s total solar eclipse.
It's also holding a space expo over the weekend to provide some fun and education leading up to the eclipse.
More than 7,000 people will fill the Dallas Arboretum for the solar eclipse, including members of NASA hosting a live broadcast.
"Dallas is right near the middle of the path, so the totality right here will last almost four minutes, which is great, and Texas on average has pretty clear skies in April compared to other places along the path, so we’re really hopeful that we’ll get a clear view of the eclipse," said Sarah Frazier, with NASA.
Cloud cover is in the forecast.
We’re asking NASA scientists what to expect if there is coverage, and how useful are your eclipse glasses?
"If it’s too cloudy for you to see the sun, then, unfortunately, the eclipse glasses won’t help," Frazier said. "If it is cloudy, they won’t help you, you know, focus your picture of the eclipse or anything like that."
If clouds are high and thin enough to see the sun, however, you’ll need those eclipse glasses when looking up.
Eclipse weather forecast: Will North Texas clouds impact my view?
There are still clouds in the forecast for the April 8th total solar eclipse in North Texas, but the kind of clouds could have a big impact on your view. The FOX 4 Weather Team explains.
"So you are not only getting a really once in a lifetime celestial event experience, you are getting some of the most world renowned scientists in the country here in the Dallas Arboretum, as well as a beautiful landscape," said Kelsey Carter, with the Dallas Arboretum.
NASA scientists will lead educational opportunities for people at the arboretum this weekend and through Monday.
During the eclipse, it’s not just the people who will take notice. It’s the animals and plants.
"What will happen is, plants will actually quit photosynthesizing," explained Dave Forehand, VP of gardens for the Dallas Arboretum.
Plants should return to normal after those four minutes.
For now, people are hoping for clear skies.
If that’s not the case, NASA said there’s some science which shows the eclipse could clear a path.
"Eclipses actually can have an effect on the clouds, so depending on the type of clouds and the level they’re at, sometimes the temperature difference created by the eclipse can clear some of those clouds out," Frazier said.
While NASA is in Dallas for an eclipse watch spot, it has teams in many areas collecting data to better understand the sun.
"We have instruments on planes, we have instruments on rockets, and we have instruments on the ground that will be studying the corona and Earth’s atmosphere to understand what goes on in that region and how the sun is active and how it affects Earth," Frazier said.
Monday’s eclipse event at the arboretum is sold out, but they still have tickets for this weekend and NASA experts on site to provide education.