Here's where and how to view San Antonio's 'ring of fire' eclipse (2024)

San Antonio residents are in a prime position to experience the cosmos like never before during this month’s annular eclipse.

Annular solar eclipses — when the moon passes between the sun and Earth — are also known as “ring of fire” eclipses, because during full convergence, as the moon moves in front of the sun, only the sun’s edges are visible. The eclipse will take place on Saturday, Oct. 14.

San Antonio is in the path of totality, with the best views of the phenomenon occurring just before noon. The eclipse will begin around 10:30 a.m. and last until 1:30 p.m., however, the ring of fire will only be viewable in San Antonio from 11:53 to 11:56 a.m.

Last seen in the United States in 2012, the annular eclipse won’t be visible again in the contiguous U.S. until 2039.

“For our area to be the ground zero … is really awesome,” said Ja’Nise Solitaire, Visit San Antonio’s communications manager. “It will bring a lot of people to San Antonio who will explore what else the city has to offer. We expect lots of visitors for it, and we’re ready.”

The October event and a total solar eclipse set to occur April 8, 2024, also have sent Hill Country communities just north and west of San Antonio scrambling to prepare for an influx of visitors from across the world.

Observing this celestial event will be possible from anywhere in San Antonio — weather permitting — but it’s crucial to have proper eye protection.

Eclipse watchers need to use eclipse glasses or a do-it-yourself pinhole projector to view this type of eclipse, said Angela Speck, professor of astrophysics and the chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UTSA. Staring directly at the sun — even during an eclipse — can cause damage to the human eye, she warned.

“With the glasses, the sun looks about as bright as the full moon,” she said. “You don’t want to look at the sun directly without the glasses.”

Eclipse glasses are special eyewear designed for direct viewing of the sun. These glasses filter out eye-damaging radiation, making it possible for the wearer to look at the eclipse. Solar eclipse glasses are either madeof a black polymer or silvery mylar that blocks 100% of infrared and ultraviolet light.

Make sure you get official eclipse glasses, meaning ones that are certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), said Randy Millican, emergency management coordinator of Kimble County in the Hill Country, at a panel discussion of the annular eclipse last week during a panel held by the Hill Country Alliance. Wearers should look for an ISO certification number on their glasses prior to using them. Find certified-safe eclipse glasses here.

“A welder’s helmet, one, two, three, four pairs of sunglasses — those do not work,” he said. “You must have the certified eclipse glasses.”

Eclipse watch parties

In preparation for an influx of celestial tourism, Visit San Antonio, the local visitor’s bureau, has launched a webpage dedicated to “Fiesta del Sol,” giving locals and tourists alike the lowdown on when and where San Antonio’s eclipse watch parties will be held.

“San Antonio must be a great city — after all, Mother Nature picked it twice!” the page states cheekily. It includes safe viewing information, hotel advice and a link to organized watch parties.

The Scobee Education Center and Planetarium will be hosting the official Fiesta del Sol event, which kicks off at 9:30 a.m. and lasts until 2:30 p.m. Thefree community event will include guest speakers, live music, family activities, solar-filtered telescopes for public viewing, food trucks and free eclipse glasses while supplies last.

“When eclipses occur, people gravitate to our center,” Rick Varner, director of the Scobee Education Center, told the San Antonio Report. “Maybe it is a childhood memory from a class trip to San Antonio’s Scobee Planetarium or a mission to Mars in the Challenger Learning Center, but people come to the center to experience eclipses with their community.”

Varner said the San Antonio Astronomical Association and other amateur astronomers, along with the SAC Society of Physics students, will be setting up solar viewing telescopes in the new Early Childhood Center parking area. Several sun spotter telescopes — small wooden contraptions that utilize mirrors to project a solar image on a small white viewing screen — will be strategically placed for simple viewing, he said.

The Witte Museum is also celebrating the eclipse. The museum will host two events: one on its San Antonio campus that it’s calling the “Eclipse Viewing and Last Contact Party” and another more exclusive event at the White Shaman Preserve in Val Verde County.

The local event will take place in the Witte’s driveway area and will feature art and science activities and speakers on science, technology, engineering and math, said Sarah Rowley, a Witte Museum science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educator. The Witte’s party will also include solar eclipse glasses, and is “free with museum admission.”

Residents and visitors with littles can check out the DoSeum, which is hosting a “Moon at Noon” event featuring kid-friendly activities leading to the eclipse. The first 500 museum-goers will receive free admission and free eclipse glasses.

For animal lovers, the San Antonio Zoo will be the place to go. The zoo is hosting an “Annular Solar Eclipse Extravaganza,” which will include educational activities about animals and the moon’s cycles. Speck said animals react very interestingly to eclipses — some falling silent while they occur, others becoming restless and agitated.

For a truly San Antonio eclipse experience, residents can head to Mission San José, which will be hosting a free viewing event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hosted by the National Park Service in partnership with UTSA’s Curtis Vaughan Jr. Observatory, will include educational presentations and free eclipse glasses while supplies last.