Annular Solar Eclipse over Oregon on October 14, 2023 

An annular solar eclipse visits Oregon. If you are inside the path of annular solar eclipse, you will see the dramatic sight of the Sun as a thin ring, almost but not completely eclipsed by the Moon. Daylight will be dimmed considerably, but not dark like a total solar eclipse. This eerie sight can be enjoyed with eclipse glasses and other safe viewing methods.

The annular solar eclipse begins in Oregon at 9:15 am PDT with the speed of the Moon’s shadow being 7537 mph. The annular solar eclipse leaves Oregon at 9:24 am PDT and the Moon’s shadow diminishes to 3833 mph. The maximum duration of annularity in Oregon is 4 minutes and 32 seconds.

The first landfall of the annular solar eclipse will be at Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, an beautiful landscape of coastal sand dunes. Cities inside the path are Corvallis, Eugene, Roseburg, Coos Bay, Medford, and Klamath Falls. A popular destination in Oregon will be Crater Lake National Park. Viewing the eclipse from the rim will offer the sight of the Moon’s shadow racing over the crater rim and lake. The Three Sisters Wilderness area west of Bend is a scenic area just inside the northern limit of annular solar eclipse, a great location for eclipse chasers seeking an extended view of Baily’s Beads.

About the Annular Solar Eclipse

During an annular solar eclipse, the apparent size of the Moon’s disk is slightly smaller than the apparent size of the Sun’s disk. Therefore, only the outer edge of the Sun remains visible and the Sun appears as a brilliant ring if you are inside the path of annular solar eclipse. This is an otherworldly sight often called a “ring of fire”. Here are instructions for the safely viewing solar eclipses by the American Astronomical Society and endorsed by several professional societies.

This eclipse will be a warm-up act for the spectacle of the total solar eclipse crossing the United States just 177 days later on April 8, 2024. While not as dramatic as a total solar eclipse, an annular solar eclipse promises a spectacular vision featuring the striking sight of the Sun as a ring. We recommend solar binoculars for viewing the dynamic Baily’s Beads, sparkling points of brilliant sunlight as the Moon’s limb rolls over the Sun’s edge.

Tips for viewing the annular solar eclipse

• Learn the simple methods to safely view a solar eclipse. At all times during an annular solar eclipse, you must use eclipse glasses or other safe viewing method. Visit eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety for detailed instructions.

• Plan ahead. If you choose to stay in a hotel, be aware that most will sell out. A perfect guide to planning your eclipse is our field guide, greatamericaneclipse.com/books/field-guide-to-the-2023-and-2024-solar-eclipses.

• Get to your destination early and try to spend eclipse night at or near your viewing location. Expect the highways and freeways to be extra busy in the aftermath of totality.

• Be self-sufficient. Fill up your gas tank and bring food and water.

• Check the local TV weather reports as eclipse day approaches. The meteorologists will give you great advice on viewing the eclipse and whether you may need to relocate. We recommend eclipsophile.com as the essential site for eclipse meteorology.

• Unless you are an experienced photographer, we recommend that you not attempt photography during the eclipse. You will be so stunned that it will be difficult to operate a camera. If you choose to do photography, visit Fred Espenak’s MrEclipse.com for advice.

Animation of the Annular Solar Eclipse across Oregon

Our animation shows you exactly where the eclipse will be total, moment-by-moment. The maximum duration shown is for locations along the very center of the eclipse path. This animation is built using data from retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak (eclipsewise.com) and eclipse expert Xavier Jubier (xjubier.free.fr). You may freely share our maps and animations on social media and web sites, we just ask for a link to our website.

Impact of the eclipse in Oregon

The annular solar eclipse will attract people from throughout the nation. People will most likely drive the shortest path to a location inside the path of annular solar eclipse. This map shows that Oregon can expect visitors from the metropolitan areas of Portland, Seattle, and Tacoma. Oregon will draw visitors from Northern California, Washington state, and northern Idaho.

Eclipse weather in Oregon

The essential eclipse weather website eclipsophile.com says this about the weather prospects in Oregon: “The lunar shadow comes arrives at the Oregon beaches in familiar country, atop many of the communities that greeted the arrival of the 2017 total eclipse. The season is two months more advanced this time, and monthly precipitation has passed it summer minimum and begun to climb to its winter peak in December and January. The cloud and precipitation patterns in Oregon are more complex than in other states along the shadow path because of the influence of the Coast and Cascade mountain ranges, which restrict the influx of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. The ups and downs of these two ranges creates several microclimates that may be used to benefit the eclipse watcher.”

Further comments from eclipsophile.com: “Eclipse-viewing expeditions in 2023 would be best served by locating east of the Cascades on the south side of the centre line. The terrain in this area is open and sparsely treed, giving an excellent view toward the Sun at the moment of central eclipse. Photographers who wish to gamble with the weather gods may wish to settle alongside 1800-m-high Crater Lake, lying just south of the centre line in the Cascades.”

Our advice is to stack your odds by paying attention to short-term weather forecasts and if poor weather is forecast, jump in your car very early on eclipse day (or the evening before) and drive either to the northwest or southeast to chase after clear skies. You will never regret the effort to seek out a clear view of an annular eclipse of the Sun, it will register in your memory all your life.

Eclipse times at scenic sites in Oregon