On Saturday, October 14, 2023 the Sun, Moon, and Earth will align perfectly together to produce an annular solar eclipse. This eclipse will create a path of darkness stretching from the Oregon coast to south Texas. To celebrate this annular eclipse, we are hosting in-person and virtual viewing events.
While the eclipse will be partially visible across the entire United States, Mexico, and many countries in South and Central America, the path of annularity is the best place to observe the eclipse. This is due to the Sun being almost completely covered by the Moon's shadow. This phenomena will show a ring around the Moon, that some refer to as the “Ring of Fire”.
In the United States, the annular solar eclipse will begin in Oregon at 9:13 a.m. PDT and end in Texas at 12:03 p.m. CDT. Our viewing events will provide an opportunity for attendees to witness this celestial phenomenon. For more information about our in-person event, please continue reading below.
Sun, Moon, and You
Embrace the Dark, Celebrate the Light
The Sun, Moon, and You solar eclipse viewing event at the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum, in conjunction with the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as an annular eclipse will not cross paths with Albuquerque while the Balloon Fiesta is happening in our lifetime.
This event is a collaborative effort between NOAA, NSF, and NASA, aiming to provide attendees with an unforgettable experience. The solar eclipse viewing event will feature presentations from experts across the country, covering various topics related to solar eclipses and the Sun, including the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024. Each agency will have dedicated tents, along with an astronomy-based tent and a Ham Radio tent, complete with a Ham Radio Portable Station. To ensure the safety of attendees, telescopes with special filters, sun spotters, solar glasses, and solar viewers will be available for observing the eclipse and the Sun.
Come for the balloons at Balloon Fiesta Park and stay for the Annular Eclipse event at the Balloon Museum. Doors open to the museum at 6 am on October 14. Food and coffee available for purchase onsite. Or enjoy a breakfast burrito from onsite food truck Desert Sky on the Fly an and latte from Dawn Patrol Coffee Shack.
Please visit this page as it will be updated with more information regarding activities and coverage of the eclipse.
Online Show Schedule
Live event coverage will be available on the TVU Grid network.
| Time In (MDT) | Description | Who is involved |
|---|---|---|
| 7:52 AM | Balloon Museum Welcome from Director of Museum | Nan Maslan (Director, Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum_ |
| 7:55 AM | Welcome to Albuquerque |
Tim Keller (Mayor, City of Albuquerque) |
| 8:00 AM | MC Thank You/Welcome/Introduces VIP | MC - Eric Green (KOAT Meteorologist) |
| 8:05 AM | NOAA Welcome | Dr. Michael Morgan (NOAA Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction) |
| 8:10 AM | MC Thank You/Introduces VIP | Eric Green |
| 8:12 AM | NSF Welcome |
Dr. Timothy Patten (NSF Deputy Assistant Director of Geosciences Directorate) |
| 8:17 AM | MC Thank You/Introduces VIP | Eric Green |
| 8:19 AM | NASA Welcome |
Nicky Fox (Associate Administrator (AA), NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) - NASA Headquarters) or Peg Luce (NASA Acting Division Director for Heliophysics at National Headquarters) |
| 8:24 AM | MC Thank You/Introduces VIP | Eric Green |
| 8:26 AM | COSI Cloud Demo with VIPs |
Dr. Frederick Bertley (COSI President & CEO) |
| 8:34 AM | MC Thank You/Introduces VIP | Eric Green |
| 8:36 AM | Talk: Eye Safety |
Jim Greenhouse (Space Science Director at NM Museum of Natural History & Science) |
| 8:46 AM | MC Thank You/Introduces VIP | Eric Green |
| 8:48 AM | Talk: "Solar Eclipse: Unlocking Space Weather at the Sun" - lead into the start of the eclipse for US | Dr. Elsayed Talaat (NOAA Space Weather Observations Director) |
| 9:03 AM | What is an annular eclipse? | Previously Recorded |
| 9:04 AM | Dawn Patrol | Previously Recorded |
| 9:09 AM | AAS Safety Video | Previously Recorded |
| 9:13 AM |
Live feed from Time and Date for Klamath falls, Oregon and Roswell, NM |
Live |
| 9:23 AM | Introduce next panel | Eric Green |
| 9:28 AM | Panel: Why do we study the Sun? (45m panel including Q&A) |
Dr. Jim Spann ( Heliophysics Division Space Weather Lead at NASA Headquarters), Bill Murtagh (Program Coordinator at NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center), NSF - TBD |
| 10:10 AM | An Introduction to Space Weather and the Space Weather Prediction Center | Previously Recorded |
| 10:15 AM | 5 Things Space Weather | Previously Recorded |
| 10:19 AM | Talk: How do Solar Eclipses affect the Ionosphere from a Ham Radio Perspective (10m talk with No Q&A) | Bill Mader (American Radio Relay League New Mexico Section Manager, Secretary/Treasurer and Past President, Albuquerque, DX Association) |
| 10:29 AM | Live feed from Time and Date for OREGON and Villa Vieja, Columbia | Live |
| 10:43 AM | Introduce the Governor | Eric Green (KOAT Meteorologist) |
| 10:45 AM | Governor Address | Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham |
| 10:52 AM | Thank Governor and Introduce VIPs | Eric Green (KOAT Meteorologist) |
| 10:55 AM | Talk: Get ready for TOTALITY 2024! (15m talk with 5m Q&A) | Patty Seaton (Director of Ownes Planetarium, in Lanham, MD) and April Whitt (Director of Fernbank Planetarium in Atlanta GA) |
| 11:15 AM | MC Thank You/Introduces VIP | Eric Green |
| 11:17 AM | Talk: Connections through Eclipses (15m talk with 7m Q&A) | Alessandra Pacini (NOAA Space Weather Scientist/Heliophysics Data Steward at NCEI) |
| 11:40 AM | Introduce next speaker | Eric Green |
| 11:41 AM | Talk: History of Eclipses (12m talk with 3m Q&A) | David Hurd (Planetarium Director and Professor from Penn Western University) |
| 11:55 AM | Live feed from Time and Date of the Eclipse from South America | Live |
| 12:00 PM | Conclusion |