April 8 Eclipse: What Oregon, Washington, Coastlines Will See

Published 4/02/24 at 12:35 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Portland, Oregon) – So far, weather looks so-so for the big solar eclipse around Oregon, Washington and the coastlines of both states. Next Monday, on April 8, a total eclipse of the sun is happening in some parts of the U.S., with the full deal happening in Texas and other areas of the country. Western Oregon and Washington will only get about 23 to 20 percent, but the farther southeast you go the more the disk of the earth covers up the sun. (Above: 23% eclipse graphic courtesy OMSI)

Jim Todd, astronomy expert with Portland's OMSI, said this will be an exceptionally long one compared to what Oregon and its coastline saw in 2017: totality will last 4 minutes and 27 seconds. That's about double what this region saw.

However, we're only going to witness some 23 percent coverage in Portland and on the southern Oregon coast, while farther up around Astoria and into the Washington coast you'll only get about 20 percent. It's a partial eclipse here, but with the right camera gear, even if it's somewhat cloudy you can get some amazing shots. Darren White did so in Bandon last year.

This one will be more spectacular if you're a photog.

“The duration of the eclipse will be 1 hour and 46 minutes,” Todd said. “The partial eclipse gets underway at 10:33 a.m. when the Moon makes first contact with the Sun. The maximum eclipse occurs at 11:25 a.m. when the Moon covers 23 percent of the Sun's diameter at 45 degrees above the southeastern horizon. The partial eclipse will end at 12:19 p.m. as the Moon exits or finishes its trek across the Sun’s surface.”

Some sample times of the coast:

Partial solar eclipse courtesy NASA

Astoria - 11:25 a.m. at 20%

Newport - 11:22 a.m. at 21%

Coos Bay - 11:18 a.m. at 23%

Catching the complete eclipse will be Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as parts of Mexico and Canada.

“For Oregon, if you travel southeastward, the more partial you will experience,” Todd said.

Ontario, near the SE corner, will get to see 33 percent of the disk covered at 11:30 a.m.

Whether the weather cooperates is another story. The forecast is calling for fairly sunny conditions in SE Oregon as of Monday night. However, the coastlines and I-5 corridor – including Seaside, Coos Bay, Portland and Salem – are looking at partly sunny with chances of rain.

That could change for better or for worse. See Washington Coast Weather - Oregon Coast Weather

For everyone – pro photog or not – be extremely careful with your eyes on this one.

“Most importantly, do not view any of this eclipse without eye protection,” Todd said. “Even during the partial phase, the Sun shines brightly enough to damage your eyes if the eclipse is observed without a protective filter. Use only an approved solar filter that blocks dangerous ultraviolet and infrared radiation and visible light. Special solar viewing glasses will be available at the OMSI Science Store.”

Next Monday, starting at 10:00 a.m., the Planetarium at OMSI will also be screening a live stream of the eclipse from different cities across the country. From Oregon to Texas, viewers will be able to follow the eclipse’s direct path, come rain (and clouds) or shine. Link: https://omsi.edu/events/partial-solar-eclipse-viewing/

Todd said the next total solar eclipse ( 2 m 18s) will occur on August 12, 2026, when totality will be visible from Greenland, Iceland, and Spain.

For North America, the next total solar eclipses are:

March 30, 2033: in Alaska.

Aug. 23, 2044: North America

Aug.12, 2045: United States. More photos below

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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