Even with a cloudy forecast, many Austinites got plenty of glimpses at the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse on Monday.
Crowds began to gather across the city hours before the partial eclipse.
Students at Reilly Elementary School in Austin were excited to be on campus for the eclipse.
“I also think it’s good for education because we get to learn about it while we get to see it happen,” George, a second-grader, said. “I think that really teaches us how it happens and how a solar eclipse works and what effects it has.”
![Young kids look up at the sky with special solar glasses attached to colorful paper plates.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/35c0c40/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x3024+0+0/resize/880x660!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7e%2F8e%2F896261bd461b96183592da1e0b9f%2Fimg-2671.jpg)
In the Hill Country town of Kerrville — one of the prime viewing spots for the eclipse with a whopping 4 1/2 minutes of totality — tourists from across the country flocked to the Kerrclipse Festival.
![The sun being partially obscured by the moon during the eclipse.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c820899/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F05%2F37%2F42bd44904ca4aa861b5532507966%2F0d4a9949.jpg)
As totality neared, things got dark. Real dark. People reacted with cheers, tears and awe.
![A sliver of the sun can be seen as the eclipse nears totality.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e3de21f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5760x3840+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fab%2Fdd%2F6f1448a34dfe8afadfb4c7e4c5dd%2F4-8-24-eclipse-pease-park-julius-shieh-kut16517.jpeg)
![A composite of the total solar eclipse, taken during the Kerrclipse Festival on April 8, 2024, in Kerrville.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1b20763/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb1%2Fc2%2Fae52a12841c397b5b60da4dde043%2Fcomposite-web1.jpg)
We hope you got a good long look. The next total solar eclipse in Austin will be on Feb. 25, 2343. But the next one in Texas is in 2045 — that's like a blink of an eye!