By Katya Agatucci | The Broadside (Contact: [email protected])

The total solar eclipse that made its way across fourteen states captured the attention of millions of people on August 21st, 2017.

The Oregonian mentioned that the state was prepared for over a million visitors, but the invasion of tourists wanting to experience the totality of the eclipse was not as bad as anticipated for much of Oregon.

Many small businesses in Central Oregon were left with over stock of water and food that was never purchased after the eclipse was over.

Many landowners in Central Oregon opened up their land to tourists to stay for the duration of the week, like Solartown, which was near the Madras airport. There were other gatherings such as the Symbiosis festival in Prineville, Oregon, where over 30,000 people were expected to show up.

The totality of the eclipse lasted for a duration of two minutes and 43 seconds. One of nature’s most astonishing sights was able to be seen by observers from from Salem, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina. The next total solar eclipse to be seen in parts of North American will be April 8, 2024. ■

There are five stages in a total solar eclipse:

1. The first contact happens when the partial eclipse begins. The moon will start to become visible with proper eyewear.
2. The totality of the eclipse beginning is the second contact, where the entire disk of the sun will be covered by the moon. People within the path of totality will be able to see “the diamond ring effect” and “Baily’s Beads” right before the totality.
3. The totality of the eclipse occurs when the moon completely covers the sun. At this time, the Sun’s Corona is only visible. This is the most anticipated stage of the eclipse. The sky will go dark, the temperatures will fall, and animals will go quiet. People in the path of totality will also be able to see “Baily’s beads” and “the diamond ring effect” after the totality.
4. The third contact will occur once the total eclipse ends and the moon starts moving away from the sun.
5. The fourth contact is when the partial eclipse ends and the moon stops overlapping with the sun. At this point, the eclipse has ended.