On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse passed directly over my hometown of Dallas, TX. The entirety of the eclipse lasted around 3 hours. We acquired eclipse viewing glasses
beforehand and at about 12:30pm headed outside to begin viewing. By that time, the eclipse had already begun.
Over the next hour, we watched as the moon slowly passed completely over the sun. At around 1:35pm, our surroundings started to become dark. Within the next five minutes, the crickets began chirping and the streetlights turned on.
At 1:41pm, totality happened.
The sky resembled that as of a sunset, and we were able to remove our viewing glasses. For the next four minutes, we observed the sky and took many, many pictures. However, it was over almost as soon as it had started.
By 1:46pm, the sunlight returned, and again we donned the viewing glasses. At 3:02pm the eclipse ended completely. It was a beautiful and amazing experience.
The next total solar eclipse to pass over the United States will be in 2044!
