YACHATS — Hundreds of visitors and locals gathered along roads, beaches and trails in the Yachats area Saturday morning but were unable to get a view of an unusual annular eclipse because heavy clouds — but no rain — kept the sun and moon hidden from view.
There were some partial views of the eclipse in the Willamette Valley and Oregon Cascades, and clearer skies across southeast Oregon in the Klamath Falls area.
Here’s our story leading up to the event
By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews
Location is likely to mean everything for people wanting to see the annular eclipse that will blaze a path across the Western Hemisphere on Saturday morning.
But residents and visitors to central Oregon’s coast, where the eclipse’s path will first make landfall, are likely out of luck, according to weather forecasts.
Rain and persistent clouds will probably obscure the eclipse, in which the moon blocks out most of the sun, giving viewers a five-minute-long glimpse of a slim, fiery band of sunlight behind the moon’s darkened silhouette.
Those farther inland, however, positioned along the so-called “path of annularity”, stand a good chance of enjoying a spectacular solar display involving precise positioning of the Earth, moon and sun.
“It will get cooler and darker outside and you’ll see a ring of fire peeking out from behind the moon,” said Michael Kirk, a research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Flight Center. “It promises to be a very cool event.”
In Klamath Falls and points around Crater Lake, where views of wide-open spaces are plentiful and a relatively cloud-free morning is forecast, hotels and motels report few available rooms for Friday and Saturday nights.
“We are expecting between 40,000 and 60,000 to be heading toward Klamath County to watch this,” Allie Gardner, industry communications manager for Travel Oregon, said. “That will be the busiest part of the state, for sure.”
The eclipse’s path of annularity sweeps across parts of nine states in a southeast direction from near Yachats southeast to Padre Island, Texas. From there, it continues over the Yucatan Peninsula, Central America, Colombia and Brazil.
Unlike a total solar eclipse, the sky will not turn dark. Instead, the landscape will dim, as less than 10 percent of the sun will be left shining.
This year’s event marks the first time in 11 years that an annular eclipse has been visible anywhere in the United States.
Weather or not
Michael Hartsock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland said forecasts call for a 70 to 80 percent chance of clouds on the central coast Saturday morning. Rain is also looking increasingly likely, he said.
“There’s about a 50 percent chance things could clear up some later in the day,” Hartsock said. “But the eclipse will be long over by that time.”
Still, residents and businesses have been anticipating the event for some time, with area hotels getting extra bookings and restaurants adding features and events to help celebrate the eclipse.
“A lot of things are being planned all along the coast and in inland areas, as well,” Travel Oregon’s Gardner said. “There’s certainly been no shortage of anticipation.”
The Bi-Mart store in Florence has sold at least 1,500 pairs of the special ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses needed to watch the event without fear of long-term eye injury, said store manager Tresa Bunch.
“We have them at a special table and at all our registers,” she said.
The Oregon-based company reports brisk sales of eclipse glasses up both on the coast and up and down the Interstate 5 corridor, said Don Leber, the chain’s vice president of marketing and advertising.
“We’ve sold thousands and thousands of them,” he said. “All across western Oregon, there’s been a real momentum behind this event.”
Michelle Korgan, owner of Ona restaurant in Yachats, bought a number of pairs of eclipse glasses at Bi-Mart’s Florence store. She also plans to add a rare Saturday morning brunch to accommodate anyone who wants to show up.
“We only have brunches a couple of times a year — on Easter and Mother’s Day,” she said. “We’ll see what happens, but it should definitely be an interesting morning.”
Also in Yachats, upwards of 200 people are expected to attend the two-day Dark Days Festival, which features more than 20 bands and gets underway Friday night in the Yachats Commons.
“Ticket sales are going well and we expect a lot of eclipse enthusiasts to attend,” said Bethani Turley, tour manager for Solar Music Management, which is sponsoring the festival.
Of the eclipse, she added, “It’s just such a unique, all-encompassing experience. Yachats is the first place it will be visible on the continent. Even if it’s cloudy, it’s still going to be an awe-inspiring thing to take in.”
- Dana Tims is an Oregon freelance writer who contributes regularly to YachatsNews.com. He can be reached at DanaTims24@gmail.com
- To see a live, four-hour internet feed from NOAA and numerous telescope views of the eclipse go here starting at 7 a.m. Saturday.
Tips for viewing the eclipse
- Make sure to secure special eclipse glasses for safe viewing.
- In many parts of Oregon, the annular eclipse will begin just after 8 a.m., Saturday. Maximum duration of the annularity is 4 minutes, 32 seconds.
- Plan ahead. If you choose to stay in a hotel, be aware that many will sell out.
- Arrive at your destination early and try to spend eclipse night at or near your viewing location.
- Check local weather reports as eclipse day approaches. You’ll get great viewing advice.
- Unless you are an experienced photographer, you are advised not to attempt photography during the eclipse. If you want to try to capture eclipse images, visit Fred Espenak’s MrEclipse.com for advice.