UTRGV plans solar eclipse viewings in Brownsville, Edinburg

Get those glasses ready.

As the total solar eclipse approaches, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and its Department of Physics & Astronomy will be hosting a “Science in Motion” viewing event together with the South Texas Space Science Institute, the Society of Physics Students, UTRGV’s H-E-B Planetarium and the Center of Excellence in STEM Education.

The eclipse which is estimated to occur on Monday will reach approximately 92% totality in the Valley.

It is expected to begin around noon. Although the Valley is not expected to see full totality, one will still see “interesting coverage,” from 1 to 1:30 p.m., reaching close to 92% totality around 1:30 p.m.

“This is a once in a lifetime event that future generations might not get to experience,” said Amanda Champion, H-E-B Planetarium coordinator, in a UTRGV news release. “And this solar eclipse is special because it has a longer duration of totality.”

It is expected to last more than four minutes, twice as long as the previous solar eclipse which occurred seven years ago, according to the release.

Throughout the duration of the eclipse, experts are asking all viewers to use proper protection to avoid permanent damage to one’s eyes.

There will be a limited number of eclipse glasses at each of the viewing areas, which include the Interdisciplinary Academic Building courtyard at the Brownsville campus and by the Sundial on the Edinburg campus.

Regardless of when the eclipse reaches totality, experts say viewers must wear eye protection during the entire duration.

The sun, partially blocked clouds, positioned next to the top of a Sun dial during the annular solar eclipse at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | jmartinez@themonitor.com)

“Even in locations that experience totality (in Texas, roughly along a line between Eagle Pass and Dallas), you should keep glasses on until the last point of light on the Sun’s rim vanishes,” Teviet Creighton, STARGATE project lead, said in the release.

Dr. Lorena Flores-Hernandez, optometrist and glaucoma specialist at UT Health RGV Vision Center agreed, stating that anyone who watches the eclipse will “have to keep your eclipse glasses on the whole time if you’re going to look for it.”

“Before putting your glasses on, make sure there aren’t any holes or tears. Even the slightest tear can cause severe damage to your eyes,” Champion added.

UTRGV student representatives from the H-E-B Planetarium and the other collaborators will be on hand at both viewing events to explain safe viewing options — such as a pinhole viewer, a small hole poked through an index card or sheet of paper that projects the eclipse onto a solid surface — to observe the eclipse. “Do not look at the sun through the pinhole! The pinhole is used to observe the shadow of the moon covering the sunlight,” Champion stressed in the release.

The Brownsville campus will also include its ultra-high contrast Coronado SolarMax III telescope, which will track the moon as it passes in front of the sun. There will also be an indoor viewing event of what the telescope will be capturing.

Each of the locations will also include astronomy-related activities and student research presentations.

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