Solar eclipse shines bright in Central Texas

By BRANDY CRUZ | Courtesy photos

Clouds may have threatened to hide the celestial event of the year, but the skies over Central Texas gave one show-stopping performance during the Great American Solar Eclipse.

“The clouds kind of came in right before (totality) and we thought it wasn’t gonna show, but then it happened,” Thiago Scofield said excitedly. “It was crazy!” 

The Scofield family – Jeff, Terra, Thiago and Hailey – made the two and a half hour journey from Cypress to Temple to see the eclipse. Although they didn’t know the area very well, they knew Buc-ee’s would have plenty of parking and easy access to food.

“We are very happy,” Terra said about the trip. “It was awesome!”

They’re not the only ones who made the journey to Temple. Friends Stephen Drzymala, Travis Furlan and Marcus D’Agostino came to Temple all the way from Tampa, Florida, to see the eclipse in its totality.

D’Agostino is an avid space enthusiast who convinced his friends to join him on the trip to the Lone Star state.

“He did research where totality would be and found us the Buc-ee’s in Temple,” Drzymala said.

After seeing the eclipse in its totality, the trio planned to go visit Space Center Houston the following day.

The next total solar eclipse in the United States will be Aug. 23, 2044, but will only be visible  in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. There will be another one on Aug. 12, 2045, which will cast its shadow over 12 states, from northern California to Florida.