Ford Bronco Off-Roadeo in Austin, Texas hosting an eclipse viewing party

Before we get into the post, we need to insert a very important note. Because we host photos in a 16:9 aspect ratio, we had to crop the above photo, supplied by Ford, in a way that eliminated the text at the bottom of the photo. The text read: “This is a simulated solar eclipse because our lawyers told us we need to have a disclaimer.” Got that? The eclipse in the photo isn’t real. Don’t sue.

Now, to business: Ford’s offering Bronco and Bronco Sport owners the chance to view the coming eclipse at the Bronco Off-Roadeo location in Austin, Texas. In case you weren’t aware, a total eclipse on April 8 will cross Mexico, the U.S., and Canada diagonally from southwest to northeast. NASA reports, from 11:07 a.m. Pacific time, “The total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow track stretching from Texas to Maine on April 8, 2024. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout all 48 contiguous U.S. states. The path of the eclipse continues from Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton. The eclipse will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NDT.”

Austin lies on the eastern edge of the eclipse’s Path of Totality, but the Bronco Off-Roadeo sits to the west of Austin in Hill Country nearer the center of the path. At 1:35 local time, locals will witness a total eclipse of the sun that could last more than four minutes. The next totality to cross our landmass won’t happen again until 2033, in Alaska, then in 2044, limited to Canada, Montana, and North Dakota. So this is kind of a big deal.