Big Eclipses Coming to Oregon / Washington Coast Next Month, Next Year

Published 04/03/22 at 4:25 AM PST
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Reedsport, Oregon) – Things are about to get all astronomical up in here.

Next month – in May – brings a wowing total lunar eclipse to the Oregon coast and Washington coast, but the real killer sight will be a “ring of fire” solar eclipse hitting the southern Oregon coast in 2023. (Above: 2017 full eclipse in Oregon)

Both Oregon and Washington stand in the line of total eclipse of the moon on May 15. Parts of central and southern Oregon will be graced by a near-total eclipse of the sun October 14, 2023.

Next month's lunar eclipse will be a difficult one in some ways, as the moon will either still be below the horizon or just barely above (depending on where you are) when it goes completely dark.

Two moments of a lunar eclipse at the partial stage (Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Times are fairly similar throughout the Pacific Northwest, but much of the Washington coast won't get to see the moon until it's pretty much hit totality and quite dark.

For Portland, and the bulk of the Oregon coast, moonrise will be just beginning a little before it hits the darkest phase. Space.com staff say the extremely low angle of the moon and its darkest phase will actually make it very difficult to see for awhile, until it gets higher. For the Oregon coast and Washington coast, add the fact it's coming up in the east / southeast and the coast range mountains will make that take even longer.

The total phase begins around 8:29 p.m. in most places, but in most areas it's still below the horizon then, especially up around Westport on the Washington coast or northward. Farther down along the central Oregon coast and south coast it rises a bit sooner.

Total eclipse begins at 9:11 p.m. From about Lincoln City southward, it will just start to rise a bit off the horizon and but not yet quite above the Oregon Coast Range. Higher spots with a view east like Humbug Mountain near Port Orford should provide some excellent viewing – providing the weather cooperates, of course.

The full eclipse of the moon ends about 9:50 p.m. and by then it should've been well in view from the Washington coast down through Oregon beaches. After that it becomes a slowly receding partial eclipse, until that ends at 10:55 p.m. These are still astounding to watch.

The big solar eclipse of 2023 on October 14 will only produce the truly exceptional sights farther south, including the towns of Corvallis, Newport, Eugene, Florence, Coos Bay and Bandon. However, this one – according to Space.com and other sources like GreatAmericanEclipse.com – will be an annular (ring shaped) eclipse that will wander a narrow stretch of Oregon down through Texas. It will not be the full, total eclipse the region saw in 2017, but it will produce a still-spectacular “ring of fire” by blocking off most of the sun. Unlike that earlier eclipse, however, it will be visible as such a ring for five minutes in some places.

The south Oregon coast will get the good stuff first, with the initial appearance of the ring of fire at Reedsport at 9:13 a.m. Coos Bay through Bandon will follow immediately after, as this is a 125-mile stretch.

At the south Oregon coast, the full effect will be present for four minutes and 29 seconds with the sun at 13 degrees in the sky. The moon will only be blocking the center of the sun, creating that magnificent effect. Don't look for skies to get too dark, however.

At the 2017 eclipse, there was a brief ring of fire effect during totality, at least visible with the right equipment, but it was smaller than this will be. This time around, it will be a sizable glowing circle.

Space.com notes you will not be able to see the sun's corona as you could with the 2017 event.

That last eclipse sent the tourism world of Oregon into a bit of a tizzy, with officials greatly worried about a “cosmic traffic jam” on coastal highways and side streets. Although all rooms were booked up and restaurants brought in extra staff, the massive rush to the central Oregon coast never materialized. Some did not claim their rooms, worried about traffic problems or because weather wasn't completely cooperating at the last minute. MORE PHOTOS / VIDEO BELOW

Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

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Solar eclipse at partial stage, 2017

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