A Total Eclipse of the Fort: A List of Local Solar Eclipse Times and Places (2024)

One of the most awe-inspiring spectacles in nature will darken the skies of Fort Worth on the afternoon of April 8: a total solar eclipse. For a few minutes, the moon will move in front of the sun and block out the glowing disk entirely. As we’re enveloped by the moon’s shadow, the temperature will plummet, and stars will emerge in the middle of the day. Flowers will close, birds will return to their roosts, and cows may lie down in the fields.

This captivating convergence of celestial elements connects us to the wonders of the cosmos, evoking the sublime immensity of forces far beyond our control. Fort Worth experiences a total solar eclipse on average every 375 years, making this a once-in-four-lifetimes event. The 100-mile-wide path of totality will cross the United States from Texas to Maine, passing over 30 million Americans including the cities of Fort Worth, Dallas, Waco, Austin, and half of San Antonio.

You’ve probably seen a partial solar eclipse before, maybe with a pinhole viewer back in grade school. A partial eclipse passed through in 2017—but make no mistake, a total solar eclipse is a different animal altogether. It’s also different from an annular eclipse (like the one that traversed southern Texas in October 2023), during which a bright ring of sunshine is always visible.

During a total solar eclipse, the moon completely covers the sun. It’s only possible due to a remarkable twist of fate: The sun is 400 times larger than the moon, yet also 400 times farther away, so the two very different orbs appear the same size to us earthlings.

One million visitors are expected to travel to Texas for the heavenly performance, some from across the globe. Weather permitting, it will be the biggest outdoor spectator event in American history. But eclipse-watching isn’t just a modern marvel; our fascination with the phenomenon goes back to the dawn of time.

Get Your Glasses & Gather

First and foremost: You must wear certified solar filter glasses—NOT sunglasses—to view the sun directly during the partial phases of the eclipse. And you will absolutely want to see the action, so be sure to line up ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses for everyone in your family. You can also make a pinhole projector (instructions are everywhere online) to view an image of the sun, but it’s a poor substitute for gazing at the real deal. Order solar glasses on the web or find them at local shops and museums like the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, which is hosting a big eclipse party with planetarium shows and hands-on activities starting at 10 a.m.

“People will gather at museums, gardens, town squares, schoolyards, and more to witness the sun's magnificent power dimmed by the moon, creating a brief, breathtaking darkness,” says Abigail Hofbauer, the museum’s marketing manager.

A total solar eclipse is a powerful encounter with the cosmos that can be unexpectedly soul stirring, so plan to watch it with people you love. Whether you’re heading to a party or enjoying the show at home with the fam, here’s what to look for on April 8.

Please note: The times below are accurate for observing the eclipse from the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, roughly central Fort Worth, where totality will last about 2.5 minutes. For other DFW locations, times will change slightly (a minute or two). Everyone in the path of totality will see the sun completely blocked out, but it will last longer closer to the center of the path. Check out the sidebar to learn how long totality will last in your neighborhood.

Partial Eclipse Begins in Fort Worth: 12:22 p.m.

Put on your glasses and let the party begin! The moon starts to slide in front of the sun, first appearing as a tiny “bite” from the western side. For the next 78 minutes, this bite will grow larger and larger while the sky gradually darkens.

Keep an eye on the shadows beneath any leafy trees around you—they’ll soon become quite unusual. As sunlight flows through the small spaces between leaves, it creates crescent-shaped shadow patterns on the ground: tiny images of the eclipse itself. No leaves? A colander, cheese grater, or pinhole projector will produce the same result.

If you can see the western horizon, you’ll notice an odd darkness gathering as the moon’s shadow draws closer, slowly at first and then faster and faster. Small cumulus clouds may dissipate as the temperature cools.

Totality Approaches in Fort Worth: 1:25 p.m.

In the final 15 minutes before totality, the light decreases dramatically. Pause to take in the fading colors of the landscape. Shadow edges sharpen and nature begins to fall into an uncanny silence. Animals will start to act strangely—and humans, too. You may feel a bit uneasy as the primitive instincts in your brain alert you that something very weird is going on. If you’re at an eclipse party, you’ll sense the emotion rising as energy builds in the crowd.

Almost Totality in Fort Worth: 1:39 p.m.

Watch the sun for the “diamond ring” effect, when it appears as a radiant ring with one brilliant flash of light glittering on its side. This breaks up into smaller balls of light called “Baily’s beads,” which emerge as the last rays of sunlight pour through the valleys on the far side of the moon. Bright stars and planets like Mars and Venus will pop up in the dimming skies. Look west: A pillar of darkness—the moon’s shadow—is rushing your way at 1,000 miles per hour.

TOTALITY in Fort Worth: 1:40 p.m. to 1:43 p.m.

You can take off your eclipse glasses now: The sun has turned into a black hole in the sky, the eye of God. You’re standing in the shadow of the moon. Radiating outward from the black disk you’ll see the sun’s corona, a luminous white ring with diaphanous streamers and spiky plumes that shoot millions of miles into space. Watch for vivid, looping features called prominences, which are eruptions of electrically charged gas and twisted magnetic fields. Dark gaps may indicate solar winds rushing away from the sun.

Resist the urge to whip out your phone and snap pictures (your photos will be terrible anyway) and just soak up the experience. Take a break from gawking at the sun to notice the twilight colors in all directions on the horizon, encircling you like a 360-degree sunset. And peek at the reactions of people around you, who might be cheering, mesmerized, awestruck, or bouncing up and down with excitement—and you might be too.

Totality Ends in Fort Worth: 1:43 p.m.

Put your eclipse glasses back on before the sun shows back up. Baily’s beads reappear, then the diamond ring, and finally the skies begin to lighten as normality is slowly restored. All the events leading up to totality now happen in reverse.

Partial Eclipse Ends in Fort Worth: 3:02 p.m.

The moon completes its trip across the face of the sun as this extraordinary celestial spectacle comes to an end.

If you miss the total solar eclipse on April 8, you’ll have to wait 28 years for a chance to glimpse another one in Texas—and you’ll need to drive to the very southern tip of the state to see it. Make plans now to watch the heavenly happening this spring right in your backyard. Get your glasses, pray for clear skies, and join humans across the country and throughout history to witness the wonder of a total solar eclipse.

Length of Totality

Fort Worth: 2 minutes 35 seconds

Aledo:1 minute 15 seconds

Saginaw:1 minute 21 seconds

Keller:1 minute 57 seconds

Granbury:2 minutes 1 second

Benbrook: 2 minutes 23 seconds

Haltom City: 2 minutes 35 seconds

Crowley: 3 minutes 9 seconds

Burleson:3 minutes 21 seconds

Arlington: 3 minutes 27 seconds

Cleburne: 3 minutes 45 seconds

Dallas: 3 minutes 52 seconds

Ennis: 4 minutes 23 second

Eclipse Tips

• Have a ground covering and pillow handy so you don’t wind up with a neck ache.
• Watch the forecast and consider making a backup plan to an alternate location in case of cloudy weather. Allow extra time for traffic delays.
• Eclipse glasses expire after five years. If you still have glasses from 2017’s partial eclipse, you’ll need to replace them.
• Don’t waste the precious few moments of totality trying to photograph the eclipse. No picture can ever capture what your eyes will reveal.

Shilo Urban

Shilo Urban is a freelance writer with an incurable case of wanderlust. She loves writing about culture and lives for adventures in Fort Worth and far beyond. Her current obsessions include Tibet, tap dancing, Kant, and mango HI-Chew candy.

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