Ashland just outside path of maximum obscuration at about 9:19 a.m.
By Bert Etling, Ashland.news
Ashland is almost in the mainstream of an almost total eclipse sweeping across North and South America Saturday morning.
The moon is a bit farther away from Earth and will only block the view of about 95% of the sun’s surface, instead of the 100% in a total eclipse. The remaining ring of light will make it more like twilight than midnight at the eclipse’s peak at about 9:19 a.m.
The maximum magnitude of the eclipse will be 95.2% in an approximately 125-mile path, with the percentage decreasing the further away from that stripe. Ashland will be in the 94.2% neighborhood.
Along the Interstate 5 corridor, the peak path stretches from Corvallis on the north to Medford on the south. The closer to the center, the longer maximum coverage will last, from less than 2 minutes at the fringes to more than 4 minutes at the center (we’re looking at you, Yoncalla).
More info
• Simulation video of what eclipse will look like from Ashland
• More eclipse info, including current cloud cover links
• NASA maps of eclipse path
• Ashland weather forecast link (National Weather Service)
• Fly over the eclipse path through Oregon
ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum will host a “Ring of Fire” eclipse viewing party from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday.
The disk of the moon starts encroaching into the disk of the sun at 8:05 a.m., reaches maximum obscuration at 9:19 a.m., and kisses the sun goodbye at 10:40 a.m.
For the first 300 who register in advance (click here), there will be free viewing safety glasses given away during the free event at ScienceWorks, 1500 E. Main St. Ashland. There will be a “decoration station” for the glasses and “a stellar (haha) playlist of sun-centric music,” organizers say.
Previously pessimistic prognostications called for extensive cloud cover Saturday morning, but as of late Thursday evening forecasters projected “partly sunny” conditions in Ashland (“partly” a sure thing, considering the eclipse and all).
The Travel Oregon Welcome Center on the northbound side of I-5 will also host a host a solar eclipse party and hand out free viewing glasses (no registration required).
Eclipse glasses are also available for purchase at the Northwest Nature Shop and BiMart in Ashland, and at the Ashland Public Library at no charge, according to a city of Ashland news release.
Email Ashland.news Executive Editor Bert Etling at betling@ashland.news or call or text him at 541-631-1313.
Oct. 13: Cloud forecast graphic added.
