In October 2023 and April 2024, two solar eclipses will be seen in the United States.
Both eclipses will be fully visible in San Antonio, as South Central Texas will serve as the crossroads for the eclipses.
A new map, released by NASA on Wednesday, shows the path of the moon’s shadow as it crosses the continental United States during the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023 and the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
NASA said in a news release that viewers outside the paths will not experience a total solar eclipse or annular eclipse, but may see a partial eclipse.
“These dark paths show where observers will need to be to see the ‘ring of fire’ during the annular eclipse,” NASA officials wrote in the release, “and the ghostly-white outer atmosphere of the Sun (the corona) during the total eclipse.”
The difference between an annular eclipse and a total eclipse is that during a total eclipse, the moon appears as large as the sun, completely blanketing the sun’s light. During an annular eclipse, the moon appears slightly smaller and does not cover the sun completely.
While both eclipses will appear above the contiguous United States, neither view is limited to the country. October’s annular eclipse will extend into Mexico and Central and South America, while April’s total eclipse will appear above Mexico and Quebec, Canada. In October, southeastern Alaska will be able to see a partial eclipse, while Hawaii will see a partial eclipse in April 2024.
Because San Antonio and much of the Hill Country are included in both circles on the map, purple and yellow, San Antonio residents will see that shape cast from the moon onto the Earth’s surface. However, only residents on the North and West sides of San Antonio will see the total eclipse, while all residents will be able to see the annular one.
The annular eclipse Oct. 14 will be visible at 11:55 a.m. in the Alamo City, while the total eclipse on the following April 8 will be visible at 1:35 p.m.
