Tyler Junior College gears up for Monday’s Eclipse

TYLER – A once-in-a-lifetime Total Solar Eclipse will hit the skies Monday and our news partner KETK is reporting that the TJC Earth and Space Science Center has been working to educate East Texans on what to expect. With the chance of severe weather in the forecast, backup plans are being put in place, but if it does rain on the day of the eclipse TJC will be canceling events. Hartweg added that if it’s just cloudy, don’t worry, because you still have a chance to view the spectacular sight. East Texans will also get the chance for an extra surprise in the sky during totality. “There is a comet that may be potentially visible and for people to kind of be on the lookout for it will be near Jupiter,” said Hartweg.

“We’re doing our best to make sure people understand that to get the full experience, you need to be in what we call the path of totality, that’s a spot that’s 100% total eclipse,” said Beau Hartweg, the director of the Tyler Junior College Earth and Space Science Center. “We’ll have some solar telescopes out and different ways for people to view the eclipse,” said Hartweg.

“As the moon’s shadow is passing across the surface of the earth, that can actually cause a dramatic change in temperature and cause some of the clouds to dissipate,” said Hartweg.
City of Tyler offers eclipse viewers opportunity to get ‘mooned’

Hartweg said the “Devil Comet” will only add to the excitement of the total solar eclipse.