PORTLAND, Ore. — Anticipation is building for April's total solar eclipse, which will be at least partially visible in every state except Alaska. The "path of totality" will follow a path over cities including Dallas, Indianapolis and Buffalo, and most of the eastern half of the U.S. is close enough to that line to witness the moon cover up at least 75% of the sun.
Oregon is not so lucky; although the state will catch the edge of the eclipse, the moon will only overlap with about a quarter of the sun — not enough to dramatically darken the sky. But many Oregonians know what's in store for Midwest viewers, because the state had a perfect front-row seat for the previous total solar eclipse to hit North America in 2017.
The 2017 eclipse followed a path roughly perpendicular to next month's event, starting in Oregon and crossing the U.S. to finish in South Carolina. Anticipation began building months or even years in advance, with early estimates calling for Oregon to receive as many as a million visitors leading up to the big show on Aug. 21.
The 70-mile-wide path of totality passed through the northern half of the state, meaning there were near-total views in Portland, with many residents flocking to viewing parties at places like OMSI. Others joined visitors heading further south to stake out viewing spots in places like Lincoln City, Salem and Madras in order to experience 100% totality.
Photos: Total solar eclipse
With clear skies across most of the state and the period of totality set to arrive at around 10:15 a.m. before the outside temperatures climbed too high, the conditions couldn't have been more perfect.
Millions of people looked on in awe as the moment of totality swept across the state, plunging cities and crowds into one or two minutes of eerie midmorning twilight.
There were concerns about traffic disasters in the days leading up to the eclipse as drivers made their way to their preferred viewing spots, but most of those fears didn't pan out — at least, not beforehand. The nightmare finally arrived in the immediate aftermath, as thousands of drivers hit the road within minutes to try to rush home.
Still, anyone who was there would likely agree that the spectacle made the traffic jams worth it. The 2017 eclipse was truly a once-in-a-lifetime event for Oregon; although there have been other partial eclipses since then, including a spectacular "ring of fire" annular eclipse just a few months ago, the state won't experience another total solar eclipse for more than a century.
When the new eclipse arrives next week, Oregonians will have to travel much farther away if they want a repeat of the 2017 performance, but they can still catch a partial view at home. Just remember: proper safety glasses are an absolute necessity when looking at the sun.