Thousands Gather Throughout Central Texas To Catch Glimpse Of Solar Eclipse

AUSTIN, TX — Hundreds of people descended to the University of Texas at Austin grounds on Monday to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse—undaunted by the 100-degree heat or the partial nature of the sun's partial obscurity in Central Texas.

There were several solar eclipse viewing parties in the region, but the one staged at UT-Austin was arguably the largest such gathering. On the 13th floor of the Robert Lee Moore Hall at 2515 Speedway, the university's astronomy department staged a high-rise viewing, with an accompanying projection on a classroom wall. But the lines to get into the room were huge— snaking around 180 degrees as they meandered through the hallways—and special glasses that were being handed out were out of stock before noon.

Many instead took to the outdoors instead in an effort to get a better view with shorter lines to get at telescopes. Despite the fact that the path of the eclipse through Texas only allowed for a partial blocking of the sun (some 65 percent from the Austin vantage point), the sight of the shadowed sun as seen through special lenses was rather spectacular. Those lucky enough to have secured a pair were generous in allowing bereft strangers to borrow theirs for a few moments of viewing.

The stretch along the Dean Keeton street bridge, offered another ideal vantage point. Members of the university's astronomy department were at the ready with powerful telescopes equipped with proper filters for viewing the celestial show. People young and old waited in line across the bridge expanse to get their peek, with lines moving at a much faster clip than inside the science building.

Back at ground level, several spectators could be seen watching the eclipse via the pinhole projector method, some with makeshift implements crafted from cereal boxes.

It was not the spectacular full-eclipse view that a large swath of the nation experienced. But the crowds were enthusiastic in wanting to see this phenomenon visiting the Earth for the first time in 99 years. Some were decidedly more underwhelmed by the experience, voicing enthusiasm for the next such eclipse scheduled to occur in 2024 that promises to be more spectacular in these parts.

What struck an observer had as much to do with what was happening in the heavens as what occurred back on Earth. For those fleeting moments of the eclipse—the heavenly show only lasted all of about two minutes—people were united around a common goal, at a time of widening divisiveness.

Early that morning, crews finished up the spontaneous work of taking down statues honoring Confederate figures of the Civil War, splitting public opinion on the university's abrupt decision to do so. University President Gregory L. Fenves abruptly ordered the statues to be taken down late Sunday, about a week after factions clashed in Charlottesville, Va., over the removal of a statue honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee there, resulting in the death of a protester.

But in Austin on Monday, people of all ages and walks of life gathered en masse to experience something so much bigger than themselves helping to bridge them together, however briefly, in the anticipatory minutes leading up to the eclipse up until its awe-inspiring climax. All shared in the wonder of those few moments, all mesmerized by the rare celestial occurrence so high above them.

In the end, the phenomenon here lacked the powerful effect of sudden darkness sparked by the full shadow of the moon cast against the sun visible elsewhere. But the fleeting moments of the unity in purpose that even a partial eclipse managed to spark here was among the most breathtaking aspects of Monday's celestial phenomenon—casting not darkness, but a special kind of light that briefly illuminated those gathered below.

>>> Photos by Tony Cantú