The dark side of the moon
The April 8 eclipse turned day to night for 4 minutes and 23 seconds in Ennis, Texas.
It was slightly cloudy with a breeze and a chance of rain in the evening. But by 11 a.m. people started to fill parks, parking lots and the streets of downtown Ennis, Texas.
Tucked away off Interstate 45, Ennis is some 68 miles, or an hour and a half from Fort Worth.
Known for the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush wildflowers that explode with color in the fields surrounding the town, Ennis is used to handling a crowd. Its extravagant bluebonnet festival draws about 100,000 people throughout the month of April.
This year, there was an added attraction. Ennis was in the path of totality for a solar eclipse. It was a prime location. The moment of totality—when the moon passes in front of the sun, fully covering it, bringing darkness when there should be light—was one of the longest in Texas.
The next total solar eclipse in the United States isn’t expected again until 2045.
Cloudy with a chance of rain
Between 50,000 and 206,000 visitors from Friday, April 5 until Monday, April 8 were expected to arrive in Ennis for the eclipse events.
The city hired Valor Force, a security guard firm, and added extra police officers for the weekend. Officers and guards equipped with walkie talkies were stationed throughout the city maintaining traffic flow and monitoring crowds.
But there was one thing that couldn’t be controlled.
“Texas went from predicted to have the best visibility to being highlighted in red as no visibility days before the event,” said Ashley Colunga, the City of Ennis marketing and communications director.
Between 20,000 to 30,000 people showed up, which was an influx of people Ennis was used to accounting for because of the annual bluebonnet season in April.
“We did not see as high of numbers as predicted due to the grim weather forecast,” Colunga said.
The event of a lifetime
The crowd expectations fell short, but the eclipse experience certainly did not.
“Yesterday was nothing short of amazing. The experience of totality right here in our backyard was such a blessing,” Colunga said.
The weather began to clear up. It was a warm 85 degrees Fahrenheit for the majority of the day. But as the eclipse approached temperatures began to drop. It was in the mid-70s during the totality of the eclipse—the perfect weather for an outside event.
The sun seemed brighter in the moments leading up to the eclipse. People were warned not to look at the sky without eye protection.
The bluebonnets no longer held center stage. Crowds gathered in every open space, carrying or wearing cardboard glasses. Murmurs began to rise as the moon crept toward the sun. People stood still and craned their necks to the sky
Around 12:20 p.m. the sky started to have a greenish tint to it and a cool but pleasant breeze drifted through the air as the moon moved closer to the sun.
At 1:37 p.m. people waited for the few short minutes when the moon would take over the sun.
Approved solar viewing glasses. (Madilyn Kopec)
Approved solar viewing glasses. (Madilyn Kopec)
The crowds grew quiet.
Then the countdown began. . .
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. . .
The downtown Ennis celebration after the eclipse. (Madilyn Kopec)
The downtown Ennis celebration after the eclipse. (Madilyn Kopec)
With every number the sky faded more into a pale purple as the moon moved to block the sun’s path. The 4 minutes and 23 seconds of totality began. A few stars appeared in the sky with confusion of darkness midday, and it seemed as if there was a sunset off in the distance because of the purple and yellow hues mixing together from the two astronomical bodies intertwined. The sounds of astonished people filled the air at the sight of something they had not seen before. None stop commotion roared through the city with clapping hands, celebrations and fun music playing in the background.
An event like this does not happen often and Ennis, TX did a great job at providing a safe place where residents and visitors could watch the phenomenon. The town had been planning for months ahead of time and the weekend went “without incident,” Colunga said. “All of our visitors and media crews were so impressed with our wonderful town, and people and messages are flooding in about how much they enjoyed their experience in Ennis and can't wait to come back.”
After the eclipse, the sun began to shine, temperatures rose, stars faded and night became day to the cheers and smiles of the crowds.
(Courtesy of Matthew Weatherford)
(Courtesy of Matthew Weatherford)
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