Get ready for Saturday's partial eclipse over Texoma

(KTEN) — There is a lot of excitement about Saturday's annular eclipse, but one thing everybody is saying: Don't forget your glasses.

"Solar eclipse glasses like this," explained KTEN Chief Meteorologist Mandy Bailey. "Because it is unsafe to look directly at the sun."

"And not take them off, because there's going to be what's called the 'ring of fire,'" added Glee Emmite, treasurer of the Paris Downtown Association.

"It's going to appear a little bit dimmer outside," explained Austin College professor David Whelan. "The ultraviolet light from the sun is still there."

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For us in Texoma, while we are not in the path of totality — where the sun is completely covered by the moon — around 80 to 85 percent of the sun's disc will be covered by the moon.

"Three hour period where you're going to be seeing it getting a little darker," Bailey said. "A little darker, a little darker... maximizing there around 11:50 a.m."

"[The moon] passes in just the right location to be in front of the sun," said Whelan. "And it's not going to be in front of the sun for everybody on Earth, but the moon's shadow will pass along the surface of the Earth on this tiny little strip."

And KTEN's meteorological team has said it should be pretty easy to spot — just make sure you are wearing special glasses to filter out harmful rays.

"Because of Friday's cold front, that's going to push all the clouds out," said Bailey. "So we're going to have clear skies for viewing, which is always a concern whenever we have an eclipse coming up."

Bailey added it's like a trial run for next year's eclipse, which will pass a lot closer to home.

"The exciting thing about the April eclipse is that it will be near total eclipse throughout most of Texoma," said Whelan.

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The City of Paris is preparing, selling more than 1,500 solar filter glasses over the past month.

"Designed them ourselves," said Emmite. "With the help of a gentleman, we got the approved glasses."

And places to stay in Paris are booked — from RV spots to parking spaces in downtown.

"I have a loft, an Airbnb loft," said Emmite. "And I've already rented it to someone in the Netherlands."

So on Saturday, a bit before noon, get yourself some glasses and enjoy the partial annular eclipse.