Austin BPN Solar Eclipse 5k

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On the afternoon of April 8, 2024, Texas will experience one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena: a total solar eclipse. On that day, the Sun and Moon will align , encompassing everyone in our region in what is called the path of totality. The last Total Solar Eclipse in Texas was in 1878. The next Total Solar Eclipse in the United States will be in 2045.

During a total solar eclipse, the entire area inside the path of totality will go dark. In Austin, totality will occur around 1:36 p.m. and last for 1 minute and 46 seconds.  Observers will notice a change in wind direction and temperature. It will appear as though night has fallen in the afternoon hours: automated streetlights may come on and animals may go quiet. If there are clear skies, stars and planets may appear, as well as the Sun’s swirling atmosphere, called the corona.

We may not feel it, but the planets, moons and other objects in our solar system are constantly in motion. In space, an eclipse occurs when one celestial object moves between a star and another object, casting a shadow on the other object as it blocks the star’s light.

On Earth, we observe two general types of eclipses: lunar and solar. Both types involve the Sun, Earth, and the Moon. The Moon’s orbit around Earth is not perfectly circular or perfectly level, so these three objects only align a few times per year.  This is what makes an eclipse such a special event.

Solar eclipses only occur during the new moon phase, when the Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned in this exact order. Even though the Sun is much larger than the Moon, the two bodies are at just the right distance apart to make them appear to be the same size in our sky. As the Moon moves directly between the Sun and Earth, it will block the Sun’s light and leave a circular shadow about 100 miles wide on our planet.

While Earth rotates, this shadow travels across hundreds of miles on the Earth’s surface. The path of this shadow is known as the path of totality. During a total solar eclipse, anyone in the path of totality will experience darkness for a few minutes while in the Moon’s shadow. Observers outside the path of totality will experience a partial solar eclipse, where the Sun isn’t blocked completely but appears as a crescent shape when viewed safely.

The path of the 2024 total eclipse stretches across a large swath of North America – from northern Mexico to northeast Canada. 

1. Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail
2. Shoal Creek Hike and Bike Trail
3. Barton Creek Greenbelt
4. McKinney Falls State Park
5. Southern Walnut Creek Trail
6. Mueller Lake Park
7. Riverplace Nature Trail

Wildfires are perhaps the most dreaded natural disaster in our area. Since 2006, when Amarillo Area Foundation opened the Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund (PDRF), residents have experienced the accumulated loss of millions of dollars in homes, businesses, out-buildings, vehicles, livestock, grazing land, and fencing. Unfortunately, we have also experienced the most painful loss – lives of cherished family members. PDRF also supported local organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, including healthcare facilities and social services organizations, and supports communities when other natural disasters occur.