Annular solar eclipse in the western US on Oct. 14

[utahastro]

On Oct. 14, a partial solar eclipse will be visible throughout most of the Americas. But for people in a narrow path extending from Oregon to Texas to South America, the eclipse will be annular, meaning that the entire disk of the Moon will briefly be seen in silhouette against the Sun. So during those few minutes of annularity, the Sun will look like a thin ring (when viewed through a safe solar filter). Unfortunately, the Sun won't be fully blocked by the Moon, so this won't be a total eclipse.

Here in southern Utah, the path of annularity will cut across many public lands, including Capitol Reef, GSENM, Bryce Canyon, and Canyonlands, and a number of parks (both inside and outside the path of annularity) are planning public eclipse viewing events. An NPS employee told me that potentially >100,000 visitors might be in the vicinity of the small town of Richfield, UT on eclipse day, and while I think that's a significant overestimate, it seems that nearly every hotel room from Richfield to Torrey is sold out the night before the eclipse. So crowds and traffic might be an issue.

For anyone who'd like more info about the eclipse itself, the American Astronomical Society (the main organization of professional astronomers in the US) has put together an eclipse website: https://eclipse.aas.org/eclipse-america-2023

 

[regehr]

I'm excited to go see this!

 

[SteveR]

Expect to be somewhere in the path of annularity (or maybe better, well away!) while on our yearly fall desert trip. Fall break as I understand it, and a Saturday too. It's going to be a ....show!

 

[RyanP]

Our Canyonlands trip starts a few days after this

 

[regehr]

for anyone who wasn't there, the 2017 eclipse led to unbelievable traffic on the 15, it took us something like 10 hours to get from Teton Valley to SLC

 

[fossana]

Sounds like a great time to be in the backcountry.

 

[regehr]

Sounds like a great time to be in the backcountry.

100%

 

[Bob]

Great marketing .... Looks the same from anywhere in the path

 

[utahastro]

Great marketing .... Looks the same from anywhere in the path

I've noticed that this eclipse is widely being marketed---with some dramatic license---as a "ring of fire eclipse," which sounds catchy but overlooks the fact that it will be almost as impressive in areas within a couple hundred miles of the path of annularity. People inside the path will see 89% of the Sun blocked; outside the path in, e.g., SLC and St. George, the Sun will be ~87% blocked and will look like a thin crescent rather than a ring at mid-eclipse. As an astronomer, I think that most people would find either of these views to be fulfilling and memorable. But if there really is a massive influx of visitors to parks in the path of annularity, the hassle of dealing with crowds/traffic might outweigh the extra wow factor of seeing that ring for a few minutes.

 

[Bob]

Being hyped like the 2017 one. Then It was ridiculous in areas of the path.

 

[napatony13]

for anyone who wasn't there, the 2017 eclipse led to unbelievable traffic on the 15, it took us something like 10 hours to get from Teton Valley to SLC

We saw the eclipse in Oregon, then afterwards headed towards the Sawtooths in Idaho. The traffic we passed coming out on 21 towards Boise was insane. It was bumper to bumper for over 20 miles from what I remember. I was sure glad we were going in and not trying to get out!