Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Partial solar eclipse today will darken sky

Clouds may prevent any viewing

As if the sky wasn’t dark enough already from an overnight rain storm, a partial solar eclipse is descending from the arctic this afternoon to make it even darker. The eclipse will cover the entire West Coast, including the Inland Northwest. Clouds will likely obscure it locally. Any sun breaks during the eclipse are very unlikely, forecasters said. The greatest point of the eclipse will arrive about 3 p.m. when about half of the sun will be obscured by the moon. The eclipse arrives in this region about 1:30 p.m. and will last until about 4:20 p.m. This is the second solar eclipse this year and comes two weeks after a total lunar eclipse. An annular solar eclipse occurred in April in the Southern Hemisphere. But the big show in this region is still three years away. A total solar eclipse will pass across northern Oregon and central Idaho on Aug. 21, 2017. Because of the rhythmic nature of the movements of the earth and moon, astronomers have been able to identify repetitive patterns of solar eclipses. Today’s eclipse is the ninth in a series of 70 solar eclipses in the “Saros 153” series that started in 1870 and will continue until 3114. The series is a repetitive pattern that progresses from the north to south poles.