A ring of fire annular solar eclipse will happen Saturday
Atotal solar eclipse is arguably the most spectacular event we can see in the daytime sky. A number of critical positions have to align simultaneously to be able to view it. When even one of these positions is not in line, a partial solar eclipse results.
Unfortunately, the Sun is so bright that even when a tiny fraction of it is visible, it’s unsafe to view it with the naked eye. There are a number of ways we can see partial eclipses safely by simply projecting an image through a pinhole in a piece of cardboard or looking through approved solar eclipse glasses, solar telescopes or binoculars equipped with approved sun filters. Since looking directly at anything other than a total solar eclipse can cause permanent eye damage and a partial eclipse is nowhere near as dramatic, we tend to disregard partial eclipses.
It will be a big mistake to ignore the eclipse coming on Oct. 14 because this one is dramatic in its own right. I’ve seen several eclipses in my lifetime, but to date, have only seen one annular eclipse that occurred on May 20, 2012. It was best seen in our state along a 70-mile wide line that passed through Albuquerque.
An annular solar eclipse happens when the Earth’s moon is
at or near apogee (farthest from Earth during its orbit) as it passes directly in front of the Sun. At this greater distance from Earth, the angular size of the Moon is
not large enough to completely cover the disk of the Sun. The result is what looks like a fiery ring around a black circle. Annular means, “ring like,” hence the
name: annular eclipse. The cosmic coincidence of this upcoming annular eclipse is that the centerline will once again pass directly through Albuquerque.
But if you are unable to travel to the centerline, no problem. The eclipse over Taos will be almost 94 percent annular. It will not be safe to view it without proper eye protection, but it will be complete enough for you to notice the sky getting darker than it should be for the time of day (10:36 a.m. MDT on Saturday (Oct. 14).)
When I saw the last annular eclipse in New Mexico, I was able to photograph it through a solar telescope and viewed it in real time through large binoculars equipped with solar filters. I was one of thousands of people who came to Balloon Fiesta Park to see the spectacle. To me, it was a special mystical experience that helped me better appreciate and understand my place in the local cosmos.
When the eclipse reached the point that it looked like a ring of fire, the afternoon sky dimmed, and I heard the song, “Age of Aquarius” by The Fifth Dimension being played through loud speakers around the park. People were singing it, too, and many applauded. It’s an event I’ll never forget. That’s why I’m advocating that you see it, too.
Use this link to find when and where to look for the Oct. 14 annular solar eclipse: solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2023/oct14-annular/where-when.
Although it won’t completely reach the annular phase in our area, it will come very close to it and will be visible using proper eye protection in the sky over Taos. The Moon will begin covering the Sun at 9:15 a.m. MDT, reaching maximum coverage (about 93 percent annular) at 10:36 a.m., and will leave the Sun at 12:09 p.m.