Eclipse Mural: Science and Art Combined

Artist Daniel Yanez is putting an artistic spin on the science of the total eclipse with a mural near the intersection of Main and Broad Streets in Downtown Mesquite.

The colorful piece, entitled "Across the Sky We Meet," illustrates the science of the eclipse in an engaging way with an 11x60 work of art that will engage viewers in learning more about the six phases of totality.

About the artist: Daniel I. Yanez (aka Artist DIY) is a Dallas native based out of the Oak Cliff area. Growing up poor and homeless, Daniel learned quickly how to create something from nothing. He was first recognized for his abilities at a young age, where he was given an opportunity to take a few art classes at a local college by his elementary school art teacher. After graduating Sunset High School in Oak Cliff in 2003, Daniel pursued higher education at Mountain View College. That fall, he felt a whole new world had been opened up for him. Walking into a gallery for the first time, he knew he had found what he wanted to do and began to pursue art professionally. The first six years of his art career was comprised of working multiple jobs, going through heartache and heartbreak of learning the business, and perfecting his personal style. During the most difficult time of his career, he was also challenged with the duties of being a father. From the years 2004 through the present, he has raised six children in total. Yet, this is not even the zenith of what he has accomplished since that fall semester in college. In 2012, Daniel opened his first art gallery in Oak Cliff named The Basement Gallery. This was soon accompanied the year after by another gallery called The Attic. In 2018 Daniel opened Elevate DTX which provides studio space for multiple artists and another gallery in 2021 named Cold Soda. Daniel has been celebrated through many publications including D Magazine Home Edition, D Magazine CEO Edition, Dallas Morning News and Time Magazine. His work is currently apart of the Meow Wolf Collection, Dallas Mavericks collection, The post Cereal collection, Invitation Homes Collection and the Bank of America Collection to name a few. Daniel is currently working on works which pushes his style and use of patterns in many new forms which include mural, installation and most recently NFT,s. We look forward to what he will accomplish next.

This project was made possible by a grant from the Simons Foundation; please see below for further information.

This project was made possible by a grant from the Simons Foundation and is part of its ‘In the Path of Totality’ initiative. For more information, visit inthepathoftotality.org. The Simons Foundation’s Science, Society and Culture division seeks to provide opportunities for people to forge a connection to science — whether for the first time or a lifetime. Through our initiatives, we work to inspire a feeling of awe and wonder, foster connections between people and science, and support environments that provide a sense of belonging. The Simons Foundation’s mission is to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences. Since its founding in 1994 by Jim and Marilyn Simons, the foundation has been a champion of basic science through grant funding, support for research and public engagement. We believe in asking big questions and providing sustained support to researchers working to unravel the mysteries of the universe. Through our work we make space for scientific discovery.

For many, the focus of a total solar eclipse is on those few minutes of totality. In the case of Mesquite, that's four minutes and eight seconds. But there is more to experience and know about what's happening before and after totality.

First Contact: The eclipse experience in Mesquite will begin at approximately 12:23 p.m.; that's when the partial eclipse starts. Some describe it as the moment that the edge of the moon "touches" the sun. Over time, the moon's coverage grows.

Partial Phase One: The moon will gradually move in front of the sun. Skies will be relatively bright until 10 minutes or so before totality, with daylight diminishing as totality draws near. Just before the sun is completely covered by the moon, beads, known as Baily's Beads, can be seen.

Second Contact and the Start of Totality: The very last rays of sun will create a very brief view of a "Diamond ring" that signals the beginning of the start of the Second Contact and the beginning of Totality. When totality begins at 1:42 p.m., the sun will be totally blocked, though a solar corona - what some describe as wisps of white light swaying in space, is still visible.

Third Contact: This is the end of totality, when the eclipse will move in reverse. Baily's beads will appear and then, the Diamond Ring will flash for a brief second and then Third Contact is achieved.

Partial Phase Two: The partial eclipse can still be viewed with solar safety glasses during this stage.

Fourth Contact: The moon will appear to "kiss" the sun as the eclipse ends at approximately 3:03 p.m.

The duration of all six phases will be two hours, 39 minutes.

Photo credit and information: The total phase of the August 21, 2017, solar eclipse as seen from Madras, Oregon. This is a composite of short, medium, and long exposures, as no single exposure can capture the huge range of brightness exhibited by the solar corona. The star to the left (east) of the eclipsed Sun is Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo. Much fainter Nu (ν) Leonis is visible at upper right. No filter was used during the exposures, as totality is about as bright as the full Moon and just as safe to look at. At all other times, though, a safe solar filter is required to observe or photograph the Sun. Credit: Rick Fienberg / TravelQuest International