Baylor, Waco, Discovery & Lowell Observatory partner to host 2024 solar eclipse event

Where will you be on April 8, 2024?

It’s time to make your plans, because there’s a total solar eclipse happening on that date — and Waco will be one of the best spots in the nation to view it!

In preparation for this incredible opportunity, Baylor and the City of Waco are partnering with the historic Lowell Observatory and Discovery to launch “Eclipse Over Texas: Live From Waco,” a once-in-a-lifetime event! (We say that literally; the last time Waco saw a total eclipse was July 29, 1878, and it won’t occur again until after the year 3000.)

With interactive, family-friendly activities, presentations by astronomers and science educators, and safe telescope viewing of the Sun as it progresses through the eclipse, this is a can’t-miss event. Official activities will take place at McLane Stadium, where participants will have an unobstructed view along the banks of the Brazos River. Baylor physics professors will host teacher training workshops and a scientific conference leading up to the eclipse to help share the experience with local and international communities.

Baylor’s partners here are also impressive. Discovery — whose properties include Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and Magnolia Network — will broadcast the event to hundreds of thousands of viewers around the world. On the astronomy side, Lowell Observatory is one of the oldest observatories in the U.S., having been established in 1894; it is perhaps best known for discovering Pluto in 1930. They have long studied the sun, and hosted a similar event for the 2017 eclipse in Oregon.

Quick astronomy lesson/reminder: A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, appearing to block out the Sun for several minutes. Astronomers predict that the upcoming total eclipse will last twice as long as the last one in 2017 — longer than four minutes.

So — what makes Waco special for 2024? The path of the eclipse puts Waco very close to the middle of the totality. With its easy accessibility and historically excellent weather in April, Baylor’s hometown is an ideal location for the event.

Make plans now to be in Waco to help us celebrate the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024!

Sic ’em, astronomers!