Total Solar Eclipse: North Texas students learn about upcoming eclipse at UTA Planetarium
ARLINGTON, Texas - FOX 4 News is gearing for extended coverage of the total solar eclipse, which is now just over a month away on April 8.
Many people here will never see anything quite like it again, and it is an incredible learning opportunity for children.
The total solar eclipse is fast approaching.
Lucky for us, North Texas is in the part of totality, which will be a once in a lifetime event for many of us.
What better place for kids to learn about the significance of this event than at UTA Planetarium, which is buzzing with activity.
Students of all ages are eager to learn about the total eclipse happening next month.
"I feel very fortunate that this is happening in my town," UTA Planetarium Director Levent Gurdemir said. "It's approximately a once in a 400-year opportunity."
Inside the massive dome, elementary school students from Rockwall ISD got an out of this world lesson.
On April 8, for about three minutes and 20 seconds, the moon will fully cover our view of the sun.
A large part of North Texas is in the path of totality, including Fort Worth, Arlington, and Dallas.
UTA Planetarium Program Coordinator McKenna Dowd said it will feel like dusk or dawn.
"At that point, you will be able to take off your glasses and you'll be able to see there's almost no sun," Dowd said.
MORE: Total Solar Eclipse Coverage
Dowd added that people won't just see the total eclipse, but they’ll also be able to hear it and feel it.
"It's going to get dark. It may feel a little weird, feel a little cooler," Dowd explained. "You can listen to the animals and see how they're reacting for those few minutes, because they work on the schedule of the sunset and sunrise, so they're going to think it’s nighttime."
The dazzling event will last for about three hours. The partial eclipse will start at about 12:20 p.m., and it will end just before 3 p.m.
You'll need special glasses to safely view the eclipse.
Students were each given a pair thanks to a $50,000 grant from NASA.
2024 Eclipse: When will the solar eclipse happen near me?
North Texas is lucky enough to be in the path of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Here is when you can expect to see day turn to night.
Some 1,500 North Texas students will take field trips to the UTA Planetarium to learn about the eclipse prior to the event on April 8.
It’s a thrill for both science geeks and everyday Texans alike.
"It's going to be incredibly cool," Dowd said.
"I'm excited. I know I'll be working that day, but I'm going to take a break and go outside and see it because we're not going to see it again," parent Jessica Eagan said.
The planetarium is seeing a huge uptick in people wanting to go out to learn about the eclipse.
Dowd said a total eclipse will not be in our own backyard for another 2,000+ years, so North Texans don't want to miss it.