This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Cedar City • David Lee didn't book his ticket to Utah until Wednesday.
But the member of the Royal Astronomical Society in Victoria, Canada, realized he couldn't miss the rare annular solar eclipse happening Sunday evening.
"I looked along the [eclipse path], and the West Coast is always misty and New Mexico was too high on the horizon," Lee said. "I thought Utah was as good a gamble as any."
Saturday's clear skies and the promise of the same Sunday made him feel he made the right choice, he said Saturday.
Lee was one of hundreds of people who came to the Cedar City area to see the eclipse, which will make the sun appear as a ring of fire around the shadow of the moon. In areas surrounding the direct path, such as in Salt Lake City, viewers will see a partial eclipse, where the sun will appear to be a crescent.
For those in the small town of Kanarraville, where the population of 300 is projected to increase substantially Sunday afternoon, people will see a perfectly aligned eclipse.
As eclipse watchers flocked to the area, local businesses were seeing the economic benefit.
Many Cedar City hotels were full or nearly full for Saturday night.
"People are coming for the eclipse, and they're all really excited about it," said Johanna Adams, who works at the front desk of the Best Western Country Town and Inn, where 142 people filled the hotel to capacity for Saturday night.
It's not typical for hotels in the area to be full the weekend before Memorial Day weekend, said P.K. Patel of the Comfort Inn and Suites, but his hotel, capacity 300, had only a couple of rooms left for Saturday night.
Some who made the trip stayed with friends or in vacation homes.
That was the case for Salt Lake City resident Haas Pectol, who came down with family and friends to stay in a friend's home.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime event and it's free lodging, so why not," she said at the Solar Eclipse Extravaganza, a free event where people could view the sun through solar telescopes and learn more about the sun and planets.
Rachel McIntyre, of Salt Lake City, came down with Pectol, bringing her husband, Steele, and their two boys, Ashton, 6, and Jackson, 3.
"We decided at the last minute on Friday afternoon to come down," Rachel McIntyre said. "We hoped our kids might remember it, and I've never seen an eclipse, so it's super exciting."
They were among the last to get free eclipse viewing glasses at the event but had to wait about three hours to get them.
"I had a guy on my shoulder the second I had the glasses in my hand, offering me $5 for them," Steele McIntyre said.
As people began arriving Friday night and Saturday morning, restaurants saw an increase in business, too.
Shane Behunin, owner of the All American Diner on Cedar City's Main Street, said he saw about a 10 percent increase in business Friday night and expected more of a bump Saturday night.
"We've seen some increased business, and it's been good for us."
Twitter: @sheena5427 —
Ring of fire eclipse
Starting at about 6:20 p.m. Sunday, the moon will move in front of the sun, causing an annular solar eclipse, often called a ring of fire eclipse, in southwest Utah. Along the Wasatch Front, viewers can see a deep partial eclipse, which will cause the sun to look like a crescent. The sun will be in full "annularity," when the moon best covers the sun, for four minutes at 7:31 p.m. as viewed from a vantage with a low horizon between Cedar City and St. George.
SLC viewing locations
The Gateway fountain • 450 W. South Temple
Salt Lake Library Square • 200 E. 500 South
U. of U. South Physics Observatory • 125 S. 1400 East
Salt Lake County
Dimple Dell Recreation Center • 10600 S. 1000 East in Sandy
Weber County
Weber State University observatory • 1551 Edvalson St. in Ogden
Iron County
Kanarraville • "Sweet spot" is Spring Creek Road, the primary viewing site until full
Cedar City • Discovery Park/Cedar Middle School, Ashcroft Observatory
West of Cedar City • Highway 56
Parowan Gap • Program, including a guided tour of lunar petroglyphs and a short hike to equinox Kairn, will begin at 7 p.m. at the Kiosk
Mountain locations (pending access) • Brian Head Peak; Brian Head Resort (Giant Steps $8 for Sky Lift Ride, weather permitting); Point Supreme (Cedar Breaks National Monument, no services)
National Parks • These will have programs and activities: Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Natural Bridges National Monument
Source • Seth Jarvis, Clark Planetarium; Patrick Wiggins, NASA/JPL solar system ambassador