Third Coast Auto Group Official Blog
Don’t forget to prepare for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21!
By Product Expert | Posted in Community, Tips and Tricks on Friday, July 21st, 2017 at 10:06 pm
While here in Austin TX we aren’t going to be in the heart of the Great Total Solar Eclipse of 2017, we are still excited. This solar event on Monday, August 21, is going to go through more of the continental United States than it has since 1918! Areas across the country are going to be mobilizing to handle tons of people traveling to get the longest experience of that total eclipse. In this post we are going to answer “Will I be able to see the solar eclipse in Austin TX”? and a few tips and tricks about viewing the eclipse.
Will I be able to see the solar eclipse in Austin TX?
While we will be able to see a partial eclipse in Austin TX, we will not be able to see a total eclipse of the sun. If you are a hardcore sun-chaser, then planning a trip up to Missouri, Arkansas, or Kansas is going to be your best bet, because those are the closest states with a total eclipse. In our area, the eclipse won’t get past 0.8 magnitude (think a really skinny sliver of the moon…except it’s the sun). Unfortunately, this is still enough to need eye protection throughout the entire time of the eclipse. Learn more about the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse on August 21 here.
Can I look at the eclipse through tinted windows?
If you are checking out the partial eclipse, it’s very important to not at any point look at the sun without eye protection. Unfortunately, the tinting in windows in vehicles will definitely not be enough to protect your eyes from the sun. Folks who are in the “totality” (when the sun vanishes completely behind the moon) will briefly be able to take off their eye protection and see just the moon and the outer atmosphere of the sun, but the rest of us need to be very careful with our eyes. If you are in Texas, DO NOT LOOK AT THE SOLAR ECLIPSE WITHOUT EYE PROTECTION.
What kind of eye protection is best?
Plenty of places will have very cheap solar eclipse glasses available to purchase, online or in other places. Normal sunglasses are NOT enough protection. You need specific solar eclipse glasses (and you should definitely not drive while wearing them…they are extremely dark and let you see the sun and nothing else). Number 14 welder’s glass will also work (lesser shades will not be enough).
