To Catch Beads of Sunlight, Here's Where You Should Head for October 14th's Annular Eclipse

The annular solar eclipse coming to the U.S. on Saturday, October 14th, is popularly known as the “ring of fire.” The main event is the appearance of a ring of light around the Moon, something that results from the Moon being far from Earth, near its monthly apogee, as the Moon crosses the face of the Sun.

That aesthetically pleasing annulus will only be seen from within a path that’s 200 kilometers (125 miles) wide. To see it for the longest time (up to 4 minutes 52 seconds on the Texas coast) the observer will need to be towards the centerline of that path. 

However, some eclipse-chasers will purposely miss the ring of fire almost entirely. They’ll travel to the edge of the eclipse path, perhaps seeing a lopsided ring for fleeting moments. They’re there to see a phenomenon more often associated with a total solar eclipse — Baily’s beads.

These beads of light stream between the mountains along the edge the Moon. They are most obvious just prior to and after totality during a total solar eclipse, visible only through a telescope with a solar filter attached. However, they’re also on display — again, only through a telescope equipped with a solar filter — during an annular solar eclipse, when the Moon’s limb appears to touch the edge of the Sun.

“In my case, I don’t believe my chosen location will have any unbroken annulus, but that doesn’t concern me,” says Michael Zeiler, a solar eclipse cartographer who runs GreatAmericanEclipse.com. “I will see the gorgeous sight of an asymmetric ring that will be slightly broken by a very long train of Baily’s Beads — that’s what I want to see.”

It’s possible to see Baily’s beads at the centerline of the path, but only for a few seconds. Only at the edge of the path is it possible to see the beads speed up and slow down for several minutes before and after peak obscuration, respectively. This is the so-called “grazing zone”. While eclipse maps have straight lines representing the edges of a path, it's actually an irregular shape because of the Moon's bumpy terrain.  However, high-resolution data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is now being used by eclipse cartographers to plot the “grazing zone” on Earth, a region roughly 3 km wide. Here, then, are some suggestions for specialist eclipse-chasers after something other than the sight of a “ring of fire” on October 14th.

The times given are for maximum eclipse, but Baily’s beads will be visible well before that. Be in position 80 minutes before the listed times to see the beginning of the partial solar eclipse.

1. Oregon Coast (Curry County)

Maximum eclipse: 9:17 a.m. PDT

Location of eclipse in the sky: 17º above southeast horizon.

Northern or southern limit of path: southern

The Oregon Coast will be a popular place with photographers. Just inland is the small town of Denmark in Curry County, which hosts both Floras Lake and the Bandon/Port Orford KOA Journey campsite in the grazing zone.

2. South Sister, Oregon

Maximum eclipse: 9:19 a.m. PDT

Location of eclipse in the sky: 19º above southeast horizon.

Northern or southern limit of path: northern

Just inside the northern limit is the Three Sisters Wilderness area around a complex volcano. South Sister is just outside the path, but the Moraine Lake Campground is right on the cusp of the grazing zone. Expect great views of South Sister and Broken Top to accompany a broken annulus.

3. Lava Beds National Monument, California

Maximum eclipse: 9:19 a.m. PDT

Location of eclipse in the sky: 20º above southeast horizon.

Northern or southern limit of path: southern

California’s best place for edge effects will be Lava Beds National Monument on the north face of the Medicine Lake Shield Volcano. A good grazing zone location would be the parking area at Devil's Homestead Overlook, close to Gillem Bluff, which is marked on the official map.

4. Canyonlands, Utah

Maximum eclipse: 10:30 a.m. MDT

Location of eclipse in the sky: 31º above southeast horizon.

Northern or southern limit of path: northern

Perhaps the most famous sight of all in Canyonlands National Park, Mesa Arch, is outside the eclipse path. However, just past it going south are two locations ideal for seeing a broken annular — Candlestick Tower Overlook and Green River Overlook. The latter has Willow Flat Campground very close by, which has 12 first-come, first-served campsites ($15 per site).

5. La Ventana Natural Arch, New Mexico

Maximum eclipse: 10:35 a.m. MDT

Location of eclipse in the sky: 35º above southeast horizon.

Northern or southern limit of path: southern

The volcanic landscapes of El Malpais National Monument are just outside the path, but the 3 km region between the La Ventana Natural Arch Trailhead and Zuni-Acoma Trailhead crosses through the grazing zone, with the latter area enjoying a short ring of fire.

6. Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico

Maximum eclipse: 10:37 a.m. MDT

Location of eclipse in the sky: 36º above southeast horizon.

Northern or southern limit of path: northern

A great place for observing “edge effects” will be Ski Santa Fe, which has a parking lot firmly in the grazing zone. For a 20-second view of the annular, stop just short of the top at Vista Grande Overlook.

7. Lyndon B. Johnson State Park, Texas

Maximum eclipse: 11:52 a.m. CDT

Location of eclipse in the sky: 46º above southeast horizon.

Northern or southern limit of path: northern

Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site in Texas is just outside the northern limit of the path, but drive southwest on Highway 290 and you can see extended Baily’s beads and a broken annular ring anywhere along the 3 km line between the west side of Stonewall and Hilmy Cellars. If you have a taste for vineyards, there’s more to see nearby: On the way, adjacent to the Pedernales River, you’ll pass Arrowhead Creek Vineyard and Rhinory, as well as Guadalupe Cemetery. Bluemont Vineyard & Brewery is also in the grazing zone.