March 18, 2024 3:05 a.m.

The Paul Morgan Observatory at Umpqua Community College will host a public watch party of the solar eclipse on Monday April 8th.

A UCC release said the rare event will occur as the moon passes over the sun for a few minutes. The next total solar eclipse will not occur in the United States until 2045.

The observatory will begin showing the eclipse at 10:30 a.m. and end at 12:00 p.m. Images of the solar eclipse will be displayed on the large TV monitor screen inside the observatory.

If skies are clear on the morning of April 8th, live views of the sun will be available from several telescopes equipped with special filters. If fog or clouds obscure the sun, live images will be available from several sources in the path of the eclipse.

Visitors to the observatory will see a partial solar eclipse with about a quarter of the sun covered by the moon at maximum eclipse at about 11:21 a.m. Live images of totality will also be shown to see the solar corona.

The event will take place whether it is clear or cloudy. Inside seating is limited.