2023 Annular Solar Eclipse

The 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse will be visible from Oregon to Texas, beginning in Oregon shortly after 8 a.m. on October 14, 2023 before reaching “annularity” a little after 9 a.m. The eclipse will make landfall on the Oregon Coast and will be viewable from as far south as Reedsport, to as far north as Newport. The line of the eclipse will then pass over Albany, Eugene, Springfield, Crater Lake National Park, Roseburg, Medford and Lakeview before continuing southeast.

Unlike the 2017 total solar eclipse, the entirety of the sun will not be fully obscured by the moon in totality as it was for the 2017 eclipse. Instead, a bright sun ring, also called the ring of fire, will follow along the edges of the moon which is known as annularity. According to NASA, the difference between an annular and a total eclipse depends on the distance between the moon and the earth. When the moon is at its farthest point from Earth and passes between our planet and the sun, this produces an annular eclipse. The name derives from the “ring-shaped” halo of the sun which is visible around the area obscured by the moon.

The eclipse will reach maximum coverage at 9:18 a.m. over the Eugene area, producing near-total darkness. The moon will then begin to clear the sun, completely restoring daylight at about 10:39 a.m.

Opportunities:

While less of an attraction than the Total Solar Eclipse of 2017, an annular eclipse is impressive and Oregon will be the focus of international attention due to our first-to-view status.
Expect increased local and national media requests with potential interest for morning show broadcasts from Oregon.
Spike in visitation to Oregon is expected, as well as increased traffic/movement within the path of annularity.
The timing of the eclipse in October offers an opportunity to draw visitors during the shoulder season when travel is historically less. The creation of eclipse-specific tourism such as viewing parties at wineries and campsites could attract tourism dollars in the off-season.

Challenges:

Lodging and campgrounds in the path of annularity will likely sell out ahead of time.
Congested freeways/state roads, sold out hotels and campsites (though not nearly what we saw in 2017)
Cell reception in rural areas is spotty and overuse may result in overloaded networks.
Other congestion/overcrowding issues in rural Oregon such as trespassing on private property, restaurants running out of provisions, waste management, etc.

View the press release for International Dark Sky Week here.

2023 Annular Solar Eclipse

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