According to representatives of the City of Dripping Springs, hotel rooms are filling up quickly or have already sold out in advance of the complete solar eclipse in April. One of two total solar eclipses whose paths will pass Central Texas will take place on April 8, 2024.
This year’s second eclipse will take place on October 14. According to NASA, that eclipse is an annular one, which takes place when the moon is at the farthest point in its orbit and passes in front of Earth and the sun. The sun will not be entirely blocked out. Austin will be on the eclipse’s edge but outside of its totality, where it will be the darkest. The nicest views will be in Fredericksburg.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It only happens in the same area every 300 years. So for Dripping to be in the totality — this is huge,” said Lisa Sullivan, communications director with the City of Dripping Springs.
The city established an Eclipse Committee in August of last year to plan for the occasion. The largest challenge, according to Sullivan, is preparing the town’s businesses for large crowds. “They’re going to be passing through, but there also are going to be people that are just going to stop the minute that the eclipse happens.”
A Total Solar Eclipse Draws Millions Of Spectators
The city estimates that six to seven million people visited the “totality” facility to view the total solar eclipse in 2017. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, completely blocking out the sun. According to NASA, at this point, it becomes so dark that you may stare directly at the sun without eclipse glasses.
“We’re gonna be in a path of totality for four minutes,” said Roman Baligad, emergency management coordinator for the City of Dripping Springs. “People aren’t going to be here just for that time. This is a three-day event.”
First responders will be strategically positioned throughout the day by Baligad to deal with the increased traffic. To accommodate the anticipated throngs, the group is setting up food stands and vendors. You can read that the Daisetta Giant Texas Sinkhole Expands
Also, they have plans to buy an essential eclipse-viewing device. We aim to give away between 30 and 50,000 glasses without charge, according to Sullivan. Sullivan claimed that despite all the preparation, there will be no additional advertising.
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