Skip the Cheap Sunglasses

Top spots in Dallas-Fort Worth to view the solar eclipse

Lunar and Planetary Institute presents #EclipseOverHouston viewing

Dallas-Fort Worth will see a partial eclipse.

Photo courtesy of Lunar and Planetary Institute

The solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, won't treat Dallas-Fort Worth viewers to the same dramatic exposure they'll see in places like Kentucky (where the eclipse will peak), but even a partial eclipse is welcome, if for no other reason than it provides an official reason to take three hours off (11 am-2 pm) in the middle of a work day.

This is the first total solar eclipse to cross a large portion of the United States in almost 100 years, according to the NASA website. To get the full view, you need to be on The Path Of Totality. That's not us. Paducah, Kentucky, is going to get it good. We'll see only a partial, 75 percent eclipse.

But there'll be other thrills (like this fun simulator). Forecasts say the sky will go dark. There will be an orange glow at the horizon. Temperatures may drop by as much as 12 to 15 degrees. For us, that'll be a chilly 87. Automatic lights and street lights could come on, and night-time birds and insects may rise up in the darkness and emerge.

If you're going to try and look at the thing, you need special glasses with solar filters, most of which are sold out locally, says the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Counterfeits are flooding the market, so buyer beware: "The sun burns the cells in your eyes without your feeling pain, and you won't know it happened until you start losing your eyesight." Ouch.

Favorite places for eclipse parties include community centers, museums, observatories, parks, or open fields. But NASA says your own backyard is good, too.

Where to see it here
These Dallas and Fort Worth parks are hosting watch events, some beginning at 11 am:

White Rock Lake at Winfrey Point in Dallas, 11 am-2 pm
Bachman Lake at the Pavilion in Dallas, 11 am-2 pm
Kiest Park at the Pavilion in Dallas, 11 am-2 pm
The plaza at Sundance Square in Fort Worth, 12:30-2:30 pm

Three area museums will also be hosting viewing parties:

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
The Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas

If you use Lyft to attend museum events, they'll give 21 percent off a ride, up to $5; use the promo code ECLIPSEDFW.

FWTX lists a few other Tarrant County options, including the campus of Texas Christian University and the Planetarium at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Astronomy magazine has a fun countdown widget telling when it begins, and a drawing that lets you slide a moon across the sun. The maximum eclipse effect will be seen in DFW at about 1:10 pm.

If you miss it entirely, there's a cool Eclipse Megamovie Project from Google and the University of California at Berkeley that will gather images from over 1,000 photographers and astronomers from across the United States, which they'll stitch together to create a movie we can watch after it's all done.

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FWPD News

Fort Worth's longtime police chief Neil Noakes will retire in 2025

FWPD

FWPD chief Neil Noakes

After more than 25 years of dedicated service to the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Police Department, Police Chief Neil Noakes will retire from law enforcement, effective May 2025.

Chief Noakes has been with the FW Police Department since 2000 and was appointed Chief of Police in 2021 by City Manager David Cooke.

In a statement, Noakes says that he's retiring to focus on his family.

"My emotions are mixed because I have been with the FWPD for half my life and have truly enjoyed my career," Noakes says. "Being part of our FWPD family has been an incredible honor and a privilege. I work with amazing people who strive to make a positive difference every day. I have also enjoyed working with an incredibly supportive Mayor, Council, and City Manager’s Office."

"My decision comes down to family," he says. "I have a supportive and loving wife and children who have sacrificed so much and supported me and the Fort Worth Police Department. I became a grandfather in July, and I have a second grandchild on the way. It’s time for me to focus on my family."

Chief Noakes has held various ranks and served in multiple areas of the department, including Patrol, DWI, Motors, and Internal Affairs.

Before being named Chief of Police, Noakes served as Deputy Chief, overseeing the South Command. He earned his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Tarleton State University and his master's degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Texas Christian University (TCU). Additionally, he is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute’s 137th Administrative Officers Course and TCU’s inaugural Leadership, Executive, and Administrative Development Program (L.E.A.D. #1).

His accomplishments include establishing a new Wellness Unit and his involvement in youth engagement programs such as Operation Progress, Read2Win, All Pro Dad, and the City of Fort Worth’s Education Initiative.

In a statement Fort Worth City Manager David Cooke praises Chief Noakes for his focus on community problem-solving and reducing crime, even despite Fort Worth’s population growth over the last decade.

“You’ve got to love the job to be good at being a police chief and he’s an extraordinary police chief," Cooke says. "If you hear him talk about the officers and the staff that work at the police department you get this beautiful understanding of what it’s like to be a police family. He leads the police department with that type of ethic and family feeling."

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker says she has "nothing but respect" for Noakes' decision to retire and put family first.

"I’m so grateful to Neil, his wife, and his family for the more than 25 years of service, sacrifice, and leadership that he has provided to Fort Worth, Parker says. "He has led the Fort Worth Police Department through some of the most difficult times our city has faced with humility, transparency, and compassion for the community as his top priority. He is truly leaving this department better than he found it."

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