🗞️ What Austin’s talking about — Eclipse Edition

🤠 Destination: Texas

Brace for impact! Central Texas cities are expecting astronomical numbers of visitors, and getting around will be tricky, especially in the Hill Country, where totality will last the longest. Plan ahead and be prepared with gas, water, and food. For real-time traffic conditions, check the DriveTexas site. [TxDOT]

• Better yet, let someone else drive: Austin’s CapMetro will have extra buses shutting people to and from Leander Station, where they’re hosting an Eclipse Picnic. [CapMetro]

🦇 Focus On Fauna

One burning question: What will the animals do during the total eclipse? Will the temporary darkness trick nocturnal creatures like Austin’s free-tail bats? Head to the Austin Zoo to watch what happens live. [CBS Austin]

• Turn your curiosity into science and share your observations on what you see, hear, and feel with NASA’s Eclipse Soundscapes Project. [NASA]

🚸 Corral the Kiddos

Teach the children well. Austin Independent School District students will be in class to view the eclipse together, but other districts will be closed out of concern over traffic. For tips on learning about and viewing the eclipse at home, check out the National Air & Space Museum’s activities portal and the many NASA resources, like the Helioviewer Eclipse Watch tool, which shows images of the Sun. [National Air & Space Museum, NASA]

🎶 Prepare the Tunes

What about your sense of sound? A couple of options for your total eclipse soundtrack:

• Austin alt-rock band Highway Lights’ eclipse-inspired album, meant to be started 25 minutes before totality [KUT News]
• The University of Texas at Austin’s 25-song UTotal Eclipse playlist, curated by Andy Langer. [UT News]
• Then, queue up the Austin American-Statesman’s site-specific selections for what to listen to while you’re in the zone. [Austin American-Statesman]

😎 Before You Look Up

Do not stare at the sun with your bare eyes! Regular sunglasses are not strong enough, so you’ll want to snag a pair of eclipse glasses. The City of Austin will have freebies at its watch parties at 10 public library branches. [City of Austin]

• A smattering of Austin businesses are handing out their own branded versions, some purchases necessary. [Culture Map Austin]