Albuquerque will be in the path of eclipse maximum for a solar eclipse this spring, which means that the Moon will pass in front of the Sun and those in Albuquerque will get an amazing show. What makes these events rare is the relatively small shadow that the Moon casts on Earth. This means planning is required in order to see the eclipse maximum. This particular eclipse will be of the annular type, which means the sun won’t be completely blocked out like the more commonly known total eclipse. For annular eclipses, the size of the Moon will appear to be just smaller than the Sun, which will leave a small ring (an annulus) of the Sun still visible around the Moon when the Moon is completely in front of the Sun. For this reason, it won't get dark during this eclipse! The eclipse starts in Albuquerque at 6:20pm. The annular phase starts at 7:33pm and lasts for about 4 minutes. At this time, the Sun will only be five degrees above the western horizon. If you decide to view the eclipse from some other location, make sure you have a good view of the western horizon. If there are mountains or buildings in the way, you may well miss the main event! A good rule of thumb is that if you can see Mt. Taylor, you'll be able to see the eclipse. Find out more about the science of eclipses here. Explore the path and timing of the eclipse here
