“It’s better to plan for an event before it comes,” said Shantelle Dunn Brannon, Williamson County interim director of emergency management. “We’re all planning for the unknown. We don’t know what to expect, but we are erring on the side of caution.”
The total solar eclipse will be the second celestial event Central Texans will experience in the span of six months, following an annular solar eclipse O•ct. 1•4, when the moon covered the center of the sun, leaving a “ring of fire.”
Once the eclipse is over, officials in the Hill Country are hoping to attract astro-tourists back to see the stars at night, which they are working to preserve.
The big picture
Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to travel to the Texas Hill Country to watch the moon completely block the face of the sun on April 8, said Dawn Davies, the Night Sky program coordinator at Hill Country Alliance. The rarity of the event has garnered a lot of interest both from tourists and area residents.
Total solar eclipses, on average, are visible somewhere on Earth approximately every 18 months. However, Davies said a total solar eclipse recurring in the same place happens every 350-400 years or so.
“We are not going to see an eclipse pass through the Hill Country like this for generations upon generations,” Davies said.
Officials have noticed an increase in bookings for campsites, hotels and Airbnbs. Katie Amsler, Liberty Hill’s director of community engagement and communication, said the city’s only lodging place, River Ranch Inn, is fully booked, and the city’s Airbnbs have been reserved for months.
School districts across Central Texas—including Liberty Hill, Florence and Jarrell ISDs—have canceled classes on April 8 to keep parents and students off the roads during the event.
“The county is worried that there is going to be gridlock on the roads, and we’re going to have trouble running our buses and having parent pickup during that time,” Liberty Hill ISD Superintendent Steven Snell said in May, when the district announced its 2023-24 calendar. “The county expects 400,000 [people] to drive through Liberty Hill on the way to the eclipse.”
Brannon said the county anticipates all traffic jams will be situated in northern Williamson County. She said fire departments and EMS vehicles will be on standby in the event of an emergency situation, both related and unrelated to the eclipse.
While viewing events are planned across the county, officials are encouraging spectators, especially those who reside in the area, to watch the eclipse from home and stay off the roads.
“Just stay home and plan things with your family and neighbors,” Amsler said.
Safe viewing
- Get to viewing location early
- Limit travel on major roadways day of event
- Do not use smartphone cameras, sunglasses, etc., to view the eclipse
The solar eclipse can be seen in Williamson County from 12:18 p.m.-2:58 p.m., with the duration of totality lasting 3 minutes and 6 seconds.
Experts are recommending spectators view the solar eclipse with ISO Certified eclipse glasses or cards until maximum coverage of the sun—or totality—is reached, when it is then safe to observe without protective wear.
“Unlike the October annular eclipse, you want to take those glasses off during totality,” Davies said. “When the moon is covering the sun completely, those glasses need to come off or you won’t be able to experience everything that the total eclipse has to offer.”
Nonprofit organization Friends of River Ranch County Park will hold an eclipse viewing event at the River Ranch County Park in Liberty Hill. Betsy Murphy with Friends of River Ranch County Park said there will be a few hundred pairs of viewing glasses to give away at the event.
Other events include a 5K run and viewing party in Leander on the day of the eclipse called Outrun the Sun. Southwestern University in Georgetown is also hosting a viewing party.
The city of Cedar Park is not planning any events related to the eclipse, officials said.
When to watch
Times for viewing and glasses are listed for Williamson County but vary by location.
- Partial eclipse begins: 12:18:08 p.m. (need glasses)
- Full eclipse begins: 1:36:21 p.m. (no glasses)
- Maximum eclipse: 1:37:54 p.m. (no glasses)
- Full eclipse ends: 1:39:37 p.m. (need glasses)
- Partial eclipse ends: 2:58:52 p.m. (need glasses)
Davies is hoping once the solar eclipse is over, people stay to observe the sky at nightfall.
“Come for the sun, stay for the stars,” Davies said. “You can’t have a total solar eclipse without a new moon, and the best time to observe the night sky ... is during the new moon.”
Places with Dark Sky designations tend to attract astro-tourists, or people who travel from around the U.S. and sometimes even the world to experience astronomical events or phenomenons.
Texas has over 20 sites designated as International Dark Sky Places, including many in Central Texas. The program certifies areas across the world that preserve and protect dark skies through lighting policies and public education.
Liberty Hill has been working toward a designation since July and officials are expecting to receive it by summer 2025. Liberty Hill would be the first northern Austin-area city with the designation.
“We will always make sure that we are following the proper ordinances, so that [Liberty Hill] can keep [its] designation forever,” Amsler said.
Something to note
Once a community or park receives a Dark Sky designation, it can generate additional tourism dollars from those seeking dark skies.
“It draws tourists—people will drive for [dark skies],” DarkSky Texas President Cindy Luongo Cassidy said.
Davies said roughly two dozen Hill Country entities are either in the process of submitting an application for a designation or hoping to start soon.
“There is such a draw to come out to take advantage of all the beauty and nature and history during the day, and then luxury under the night sky,” she said. “It’s given communities a great opportunity to use [dark skies] as a way to promote their area.”
Furthermore, dark skies can better support nature and the ecosystem. Luongo Cassidy said light pollution—the brightening of the sky by manmade or artificial sources—can negatively impact the migratory pattern of birds, the firefly population, pollinators and even humans.
“Light pollution affects every single ... creature on the planet,” Davies said. “We’re really hoping to continue to see this uptick in people taking an interest in becoming involved, becoming engaged, and telling people they know about [light pollution].”
Preserve night skies
Experts recommended a few steps residents can take to reduce light pollution.
- Replace light bulbs with warner colors
- Turn outdoor light fixtures downward
- Install motion sensors or timers for lights
- Use lighting on an as-needed basis
- Keep indoor lighting from escaping outdoors
Experts said the April 8 total solar eclipse will offer a different experience than the annular October eclipse, and they are encouraging spectators to pay special attention to nature during the event.
“There’s the experience of the moon’s shadow passing over you,” Luongo Cassidy said. “It’ll darken and you want to listen to what all the animals are doing as that light changes.”
Local officials said they are looking forward to the benefits of tourism brought on not only from the eclipse, but also the region's dark skies.
Once obtained, Amsler said Liberty Hill officials will actively work to maintain the city’s Dark Sky designation through ordinances that ensure its lighting is compliant, even as new developments come online.
“Once we get that dark sky initiative, we want to market that and let tourists know, ‘Hey, come visit us,’” Amsler said. “Hopefully, while they’re here, they’ll spend time in our downtown ... and really just check out Liberty Hill.”
