UTRGV to host solar eclipse viewing party
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The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will be hosting a watch party for residents to watch the historic solar eclipse.
Dozens of people are expected to gather at the sundial at the UTRGV Edinburg campus to witness the solar eclipse.
The Rio Grande Valley is outside the path of totality, meaning residents will only see a crescent or partial total eclipse.
The sky won't go completely dark like it will in other parts of the state.
The eclipse will last up to four and a half minutes as the moon passes between the sun and the earth.
Total solar eclipses are rare and don't happen often in the United States.
"The next one is not next year, not the following year, not in ten years but in 21 years, in 2045 and after that, it will be 2052, 2078," UTRGV Astronomy and Physics Professor Dr. Hyun-Chul Lee said.
2017 was the last time there was a total solar eclipse in the U.S. Texas was not in the path of totality during that eclipse.
This year's path of totality will be more than a 100 miles wide and stretches across 15 states, from Texas to Maine.
The eclipse will begin at around 1:30 p.m.
The viewing party will begin at 12:45 p.m. and UTRGV will be handing solar eclipse glasses on a first come, first served basis.
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