The next Texas total solar eclipse has a surprising tie to today
Chron • • science
Key Points:
- On May 11, 2078, a total solar eclipse will occur, darkening part of southern Texas, particularly the Rio Grande Valley, including cities like Brownsville, McAllen, Harlingen, and South Padre Island.
- This eclipse will be visible only in a narrow path of totality before moving across the Gulf of Mexico into southeastern states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.
- The last total solar eclipse visible in Texas was on April 8, 2024, the first in 146 years, with the previous one occurring in 1878.
- Texas will also experience other eclipse events before 2078, including a partial eclipse in most of the state on August 13, 2045, and an annular eclipse in Houston on November 15, 2077.
- A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon fully covers the Sun, briefly turning daylight into twilight and revealing the Sun's corona, while a partial eclipse only covers part of the Sun, and an annular eclipse creates a "ring of fire" effect.