In Texas, the partial eclipse will begin at 12:23 p.m. and end at 3:02 p.m. Totality will begin at 1:40 p.m. and last a total of four minutes, ending at 1:44 p.m. According to NASA, people should never gaze directly at the sun during a solar eclipse, even when it is partly or mostly covered by the moon.

We asked Cook Children’s experts how to best prepare for this historic event. Osaretin Aimuyo M.D., pediatrician at Cook Children’s Pediatrics Arlington and Michael G. Hunt M.D., Research and Education Director of Ophthalmology at Cook Children’s, advise parents on how to protect their family and their eyes.

"A total solar eclipse can be very exciting because it doesn't happen often and is a great opportunity to get kids excited about natural phenomena,” says Aimuyo. “It is possible to look directly at the eclipse, but it must be done with proper eye protection to prevent blindness or permanent ‘stamps’ of the sun on the eye. There are glasses with specialized filters designed specifically for viewing an eclipse. The American Astronomical Society publishes a list of vendors who sell ISO-certified eclipse glasses.”

Wearing solar eclipse glasses

Hunt explains that solar eclipse glasses are worn the same way you wear regular sunglasses. They can be worn directly over your regular glasses or contact lenses. However, Hunt emphasizes that you should not put them on or take them off while you are looking at the sun. “The simple order for using solar eclipse glasses is this: look away, put them on, watch the eclipse, look away, take them off.”

Hunt shares the safest way to use a pair of solar eclipse glasses:

1. Prepare your glasses by folding them into the correct configuration if needed.
2. While holding the glasses, stand with your body toward the sun, but look down.
3. Still looking down, put the eclipse glasses on.
4. Raise your head and look up at the sun - enjoy the eclipse.
5. Don’t remove your solar eclipse glasses if you are still watching the eclipse.

When can solar eclipse glasses be removed?

1. There is one situation where the glasses can be removed: during the totality phase of a total solar eclipse. This is when the moon has completely blocked out the sun and the sky is dark.
   1. With young children, it could be hard to have them remove and replace the glasses at just the right time. It is best to have them keep the glasses on the entire time they look toward the sun.
   2. With infants, it is safest for them to remain inside during the eclipse. If they are small enough to fit in a car seat or stroller with a canopy, you can safely have them outside. Be sure the canopy is drawn so they do not get direct sunlight to their eyes. 
2. Be prepared to put your solar eclipse glasses back on before totality ends and the partial phase reappears.
3. To remove the glasses, look away from the sun and remove the glasses.

Learn more about the "Great American Eclipse" by visiting the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History's site. View a schedule of events at the museum and explore solar eclipses on the site.

It's a pretty exciting day, but we've gotten questions about the eclipse and maybe you've been asked questions by your own kids about the big event coming up. 

So to get answers, we went to the experts. We talked to Doug Roberts, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Michael Hunt, M.D., a pediatric eye specialist and research and education director of Ophthalmology at Cook Children's and Joy Crabtree, a licensed psychologist and clinic manager for Southlake and Northeast Hospital. 

We start with some general questions for Doug Roberts:

1. What is an eclipse?

Doug Roberts: In astronomy, an eclipse is when one body gets in front of another.

2. What makes a solar eclipse so special and how rare is it?

Roberts: It is rare to see a total solar eclipse because the area on the earth where it can be viewed is so small and it lasts only a few minutes. The eclipses themselves happen fairly often, but most of the time they are only visible from the ocean and go unnoticed.

3. Can you see it in Texas?

Roberts: You can see a partial eclipse anywhere in Texas. If you live in the northern part of Texas, the eclipse will be more complete (more of the Sun's disk is covered by the Moon) than if viewed in south Texas. If you want to see totality you have to travel north to Nebraska, or Missouri.

4. What time will you see the eclipse?

Roberts: The maximum partial eclipse will be about 75 percent in north Texas. If you are on the line of totality, which extends from Oregon to South Carolina, you will see the Moon completely cover the Sun. There are many good charts, such as this one: http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/maps.htm

5. How can you see it safely?

Roberts: In Texas you can view the partial eclipse directly ONLY if you use approved eclipse glasses. They are available online and also at our Museum's gift store. You can also safely project the eclipse using a piece of paper with a hole punched in it. This is a nice site that describes this: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/how-make-pinhole-projector-view-solar-eclipse. You can also watch live streams of the eclipse on your computer as it is going on: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-live-stream.

6. Any tips on how parents can make the event special?

Roberts: Take a colander outside during the eclipse, maybe 1 p.m. or so, when it is near its peak. Hold the colander in such a way that the sunlight passes through the holes and is projected on some smooth surface. You should see a crescent of the Sun projected from all the holes.

7. Anything else kids should know?

Roberts If you can wait seven more years, the path of totality will go right through North Texas on April 8, 2024.

To Learn More:

Learn more about the "Great American Eclipse" by visiting the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History's site. View a schedule of events at the museum and explore solar eclipses on the site.