If you're looking for information about the April 8 eclipse and how to prepare with the UNT College of Science, please visit: https://cos.unt.edu/news/totality-awesome-join-us-total-solar-eclipse-pr...

October 14, 2023: Annular Solar Eclipse

Denton is a good location to view two solar events happening in the coming months. The first is an annular solar eclipse, which will be occurring on October 14 in the Western Hemisphere. An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun but its distance from Earth is a little larger than average. Because the Moon is farther away from Earth, it appears smaller than the Sun and does not completely cover the star, creating a "ring of fire" effect in the sky. This effect is only seen for viewers in a narrow path. Everyone outside of the path will see a partial eclipse, meaning that the Moon blocks part of the Sun but there is not a "ring of fire" effect. Denton falls outside of the path. However, the Moon will cover 86% of the Sun for viewers in Denton so it will be an impressive sight.

The UNT Society of Physics Students will be hosting a free event on the Denton campus while the partial eclipse is visible on Saturday, October 14, beginning at 10:30am. There will be eclipse glasses so guests can safely view the solar event, as well as demos and educational activities.

For those who may not already be on campus, UNT Physics Department's Astronomy Education Program Director Ryan Bennett will be hosting an off-campus event at the same time at the Rafes Urban Astronomy Center (RUAC) in Ponder. Tickets will be $7/cash per person, and ticket sales will begin at 10:15am on location. The eclipse and the event itself will run from 10:30-1:30pm. The observatory telescopes will be set up for viewing and eclipse glasses will be provided. Guests are invited to enjoy educational videos, presentations, and activities, such as pinhole photography.

The RUAC is located at 2350 Tom Cole Road in Ponder, Texas. Parking may be limited, so guests are encouraged to arrive early. Directions can be found here

April 8, 2024: Total Solar Eclipse

The Physics Department will host events on and off campus events during the highly-anticipated total solar eclipse happening on April 8, 2024. As with the eclipse in October, Denton is just outside of the path of totality. The Moon will block 99.8% of the Sun. More information coming soon.

For more information and to keep up with UNT Astronomy's Star Parties and other events, please contact skytheatre@unt.edu or visit: https://physics.unt.edu/news-events/eclipse-events

These events are sponsored by the UNT College of Science.