Make your travel plans now for Oregon's annular solar eclipse in October

Many people in Central Oregon remember the flood of people who came to Madras and surrounding areas in 2017 for the total solar eclipse. A similar event is coming to other parts of Oregon in October and people traveling to it will want to plan ahead.

An annular solar eclipse is coming on Oct. 14. In an annular eclipse, the moon is at its furthest point from Earth. This creates a “ring of fire” effect as it passes in front of the sun. It’s different from the 2017 event in which the moon appeared larger than the sun, leading to two minutes of total darkness.

While many in Oregon will see at least a partial version of this eclipse, only a few places in Oregon will get to see the full effect. An interactive map of the eclipse’s path and eclipse-viewing information can be found at this link.

RELATED: Central Oregon Daily photographer enjoys 2017 eclipse with family

RELATED: Views of 2017 eclipse from Madras

The Oregon Tourism Commission — aka Travel Oregon — says visitors are encouraged to book their accommodations and other arrangements early — as hotels and campsite reservations are anticipated to sell out quickly. Also expect traffic — lots of traffic. And it’s something you may not think about, but have cash on hand.

Here is more from Travel Oregon on what to expect and how to plan ahead:

The eclipse will commence its visibility in Oregon shortly after 8 a.m. with annularity beginning at 9:14 a.m. This astronomical event will be visible across Oregon’s skies but the best viewing will be in the path of annularity which includes parts of the Oregon Coast and Willamette Valley, a concentrated area within Central Oregon, and much of Southern Oregon – drawing visitors and eclipse-chasers to these areas for excellent visibility, as well as guided tours and events.

If skies are clear on the Oregon Coast, viewers with an unobstructed view of the sunrise between Langlois and Gleneden Beach will see the eclipse first before it traces a southeastward trajectory through Albany, Eugene, Springfield, Crater Lake National Park, Roseburg, Medford, and Lakeview before heading further southeast. The eclipse will reach maximum coverage at 9:16 a.m. over the Eugene area, producing near-total darkness. The moon will then begin to clear the sun, completely restoring daylight at about 10:39 a.m.