Total solar eclipse to cover Johnson County
On April 8 , a total eclipse will darken the sky , and all of Johnson County is in the 115-mile radius of complete viewing .
The last total solar eclipse occurred on Aug . 21 , 2017 , but Texas was not in the path of totality viewing . The 2017 eclipse was the first to touch the mainland of the United States since 19179 and the first to span the country from coast to coast since 1918 . The next one will not happen until 2044 .
An estimated 44 million people live inside the 115-mile-wide path of totality stretching from Mazatlán , Mexico , to Newfoundland ; about 32 million of them are in the U . S ., guaranteeing jammed roads for the must-see celestial sensation .
The eclipse will allow many to share in the “ wonder of the universe without going very far ,” said NASA ’ s eclipse program manager Kelly Korreck .
STORY BY Monica Faram
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A TOTAL ECLIPSE
During a total solar eclipse , the moon blocks the sun ’ s bright face — the photosphere — briefly revealing our star ’ s outer atmosphere : the shimmering corona , or “ crown .” Made of rarefied gas heated to millions of degrees , with its atoms highly ionized ( stripped of electrons ), the diaphanous corona gets sculpted into streamers and
LOCAL TOTALITY TIMES
Locally , the totality begins at various seconds after 1:38-1:39 p . m . in each city and here is how long each city will have totality viewing : Alvarado : 3 minutes and 54.8 seconds Burleson : 3 minutes and 25.3 seconds Cleburne : 3 minutes and 44.4 seconds Godley : 3 minutes and 7.8 seconds Grandview : 4 minutes and 9.5 seconds Joshua : 3 minutes and 28.2 seconds Keene : 3 minutes and 45.1 seconds Rio Vista : 3 minutes and 58.8 seconds Venus : 4 minutes and 1.2 seconds loops by the sun ’ s powerful magnetic field and shines with a light seen nowhere else .
The corona is always there , but we usually can ’ t see it because the photosphere is about a million times brighter and drowns it out . When the moon covers the sun ’ s bright face , the corona is definitely the main attraction , but there ’ s so much more to the experience .
At the beginning and end of totality , the thin middle layer of the sun ’ s atmosphere , the chromosphere , blazes in an arc of ruby red . The sky darkens to a deep twilight blue , with yellow , orange and pink sunrise / sunset colors on the horizon in all directions . Bright stars and planets shine forth , and the air temperature drops noticeably .
Animals will also behave strangely , as they are confused by the night time atmosphere in the middle of the day . Birds and farm animals , thinking dusk has settled , return to their nests and barns and bats come out to feed .
SAFE VIEWING AND PARTIES GALORE
Sunglasses won ’ t cut it . Special eclipse glasses are crucial for safely observing the sun as the moon marches across the late morning and afternoon sky , covering more and more and then less and less of our star .
During totality when the sun is completely shrouded , it ’ s fine to remove your glasses and look with your naked eyes . But before and after , certified eclipse glasses are essential to avoid eye damage . Just make sure they ’ re not scratched or torn .
Cameras , binoculars and telescopes must be outfitted with special solar filters for safe viewing . Bottom line : Never look at an exposed sun without proper protection any day of the year .
Towns up and down the path of totality are throwing star parties . Festivals , races , yoga retreats , drum circles and more will unfold at museums , fairgrounds , parks , stadiums , wineries , breweries and even one of Ohio ’ s oldest drive-in movie theaters and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . As the eclipse unfolds , NASA will launch small rockets with science instruments into the upper atmosphere from Virginia and chase totality ’ s shadow from high-altitude planes . Satellites and the International Space Station crew will attempt to capture the show from space .
Visit cleburnetimesreview . com for a list of local events planned for the eclipse .
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