Total Solar Eclipse Information for Bexar County

The highly anticipated total solar eclipse will occur on Monday, April 8th, and Bexar County is an excellent place to witness it.

Learn how to safely watch the solar eclipse. The following information is from bexar.org:

Solar Ecplise Safety

Eye Protection

During a solar eclipse, it is never safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection or solar filters (for cameras, binoculars, etc.) designed for solar viewing. Looking at the sun without protection will instantly cause severe eye injury. Always inspect your eclipse glasses or viewers and any solar filters before use; if they are torn, scratched, or otherwise damaged, discard the device. Always supervise children using solar viewers.

Eyewear

When watching with just your eyes, wear safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or use a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. 

Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and must meet safety standards.

Cameras, Binoculars, etc.

Items which use lenses (cameras, binoculars, or telescopes) need a proper solar filter to be used safely. Do NOT use eclipse glasses or handheld viewers with cameras, binoculars, or telescopes in place of a solar filter.

Click Here for Alternate Viewing Methods

If you aren't able to get eclipse glasses or solar filters, there are indirect methods to watch the eclipse which do not involve looking directly at the sun.

Watching the Eclipse Inside

If you aren't able to get outdoors to see the eclipse, don't worry! Organizations such as NASA will be livestreaming the event so that you can watch from your computer or phone. Check out this list of Livestreams & Webcasts from the AAS.

Sun & Heat Safety

Even during a solar eclipse, the sun will still be very bright. If you watch the entirety of an eclipse, you will be in direct sunlight for several hours during the time period when the sun’s rays are most intense. Take steps to protect yourself and your friends and family from the heat. Learn the symptoms of heat-related illness and what to do if someone is showing symptoms.

For more information, click here.