Shadows In The Panhandle: Rating Amarillo’s Solar Eclipse Experience

In Amarillo, Texas we weren't blessed with getting to see the solar eclipse in its totality. We were treated to a decent enough view of the eclipse; enough to go out and potentially see something we won't get to see for another 40 years. That is if you were fortunate enough to remember it was happening and secure a pair of those super cool glasses that were impossible to find. If you missed the eclipse, here's my official review.

Did Amarillo, Texas Get To See The Solar Eclipse On April 8, 2024?

Amarillo got to see a decent amount of the eclipse. We weren't in the path of totality, which means that we didn't get quite the show that other places in Texas did. Cities like San Antonio and Dallas got a fantastic view of the eclipse. This video shows what happened when totality occurred in Dallas. It was like someone straight-up turned the lights out.

Keep in mind that when it gets dark, it's the middle of the afternoon. It's mind-blowing to watch. In the span of a few minutes, we go from a bright, sunshine-filled day to what looks like the middle of the night.

We didn't get quite the same experience in Amarillo, Texas. If you were fortunate enough to get your hands on some of those hard-to-find eclipse glasses, you got to see a partially covered sun.

I wasn't able to get my hands on any of the super special, totally rad-looking eclipse glasses. What you see above was my view of the eclipse. Things just got a little...dim. It was like God reached over to a knob on his celestial wall and then slowly set a mood. All that was missing was some music.

There was a handful of people standing in neighboring parking lots trying to stare at the sun. None of them had glasses either.

What Was The Total Solar Eclipse Like In Amarillo, Texas?

If I had to rate the eclipse from the vantage point of Amarillo, Texas, I would give it a solid "Man, I should have bought those glasses" out of 10. It was impossible to get the full effect, or as much as we could in Amarillo, without the glasses or a special viewing device.

Oh well. We have a good 20 years to find a pair of those glasses before the next major solar eclipse.