TYLER, Texas — The countdown to the Great American Eclipse is quickly dwindling down, and you don't want to miss this spectacular event on April 8! However, there's a big difference between a partial and total solar eclipse that people will want to make sure you're aware of.
While a portion of East Texas is in the path of totality, the entire United States will experience a partial eclipse, and almost the entire state of Texas will experience 80% or more coverage.
The difference is that during a partial solar eclipse, only part of the sun is blocked by the moon. It creates a "dim" looking sky and cannot be viewed by the naked eye. But during a total solar eclipse, the sun is completed covered by the moon and the sky turns dark for just a few minutes.
The last time a total solar eclipse happened in the United States was seven years ago, but the path of totality did not pass over Texas. This year, East Texas is lucky enough to be in the path of totality.
The path ranges from 108 to 122 miles wide, and places like Tyler, Linden, Mineola, Lindale, Sulphur Springs, and many more East Texas towns will get to experience totality! In Tyler, totality will begin on April 8 around 1:43 p.m. and it will only last about two minutes.