CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Just a few days away (October 14, 2023), Corpus Christi and much of the Coastal Bend will be in prime position to witness an annular solar eclipse. Not only are we in the path to see the maximum eclipse, we'll also get to see it for the longest time out of anyone else in the United States.
An eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the Sun and the Earth, blocking part or all of the Sun from our perspective here on Earth. There are a few different types of eclipses - like a total solar eclipse that blocks all of the Sun - but the one we'll get to experience a month from today is an annular solar eclipse.
In an annular eclipse, the Sun is not completely blocked by the moon. This is because the moon is at its farthest point in its orbit away from Earth. Since the moon is farther away, it appears smaller and the edge of the Sun creates a "ring of fire" effect. Around 90% of the Sun will be blocked by the moon.
Because the Sun is not completely blocked in an annular eclipse, it will not be safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection made for solar viewing. A camera, binoculars, telescope, and regular sunglasses don't count.
The path of annularity is where the moon's shadow passes over the Earth's surface. It is here that the ring of fire is visible - weather-permitting, of course. Our viewing will depend on our cloud cover, but our average temperatures for October 14 are a high of 86°F and a low of 66°F.
Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend will be in the path of annularity.
The partial eclipse begins at 10:26AM and lasts for 1 hour and 19 minutes. Annularity begins at 11:55AM and lasts for 5 minutes, with the maximum eclipse at 11:58AM. Once annularity ends, we return to the partial eclipse, which will last for 1 hour and 38 minutes. The eclipse ends as the moon leaves the Sun's edge at 1:38PM.
Annular Solar Eclipse Timeline (Corpus Christi):
10:26AM - Partial eclipse begins
11:30AM - Half of the Sun is obscured
11:55AM - Annularity begins
11:58AM - Maximum eclipse
12:00PM - Annularity ends
12:30PM - Half of the Sun is obscured
1:38PM - Partial eclipse ends
The entire annular eclipse will last 3 hours and 12 minutes, with the annularity stage and maximum eclipse lasting only 5 minutes. The eclipse will create a spooky daytime darkness, perfect for cooler October weather (and spooky season!).