New Mexico is the perfect place to catch the ring of fire in the sky during the annular eclipse. Here’s where to learn, observe, and enjoy the spectacle when it lines up in the sky above our state on October 14.

Inset: An annular solar eclipse photographed on May 20, 2012.

SEE IT NOW — or wait 16 years for the opportunity to see it again.

New Mexico residents and visitors will have a front-row seat for a complex cosmic phenomenon on October 14, when an annular eclipse will briefly result in a ring of fire in the sky. The last time New Mexico was in the path of an annular eclipse was 2012, and the next time will be quite some time down the road.

According to NASA, there won’t be another annular eclipse viewable in North America until 2039, and that one will only be visible from Alaska.

This time, though, it’s too convenient to just let it pass by without taking the time to experience the celestial phenomenon. Several key New Mexico sites will be right in the path of annularity on October 14, including Petroglyph National Monument, El Malpais National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Valles Caldera National Preserve, and Aztec Ruins National Monument.

Park Ranger Jamie Kern, who works as a regional communications specialist at El Malpais National Monument, says it’s hard to gauge exactly how many people will show up to see the eclipse on the morning of October 14.

“That’s the question everyone’s asking; how many people are we going to get?” Kern says. “The experience with the last eclipse is that every park got more people than they were expecting. We’ve been planning to see at least a couple hundred, but it could be way more than that. We’re preparing for just about every scenario.”

The East Coast will have its own special event next year when a total eclipse of the sun takes place on April 8, 2024. That will also be the last one for a generation; the next time a total solar eclipse will be visible from the continental United States will be August 23, 2044.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves directly between the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and briefly blocks out the sun’s light. For an annular eclipse, though, the moon’s positioning is a little different.

“Basically, the moon is too close to the Earth, so it doesn’t block out the entirety of the sun,” says Kern. “The 2017 eclipse was a total eclipse; the whole sun was blocked out, and this one will actually leave a really cool ring of fire. During a total eclipse, while the sun is blocked, you can take your eclipse glasses off and look. But during a Ring of Fire eclipse, there’s still enough of the sun that there’s no point where it’s safe to take your eclipse glasses off.”

Kern says that El Malpais and a number of other sites in New Mexico will be distributing eclipse glasses on October 14. The time will be slightly different, depending on where you view the eclipse, but at El Malpais, the phenomenon will begin at 9:12 a.m. and end at 12:07 p.m. The most striking part of the eclipse — the annularity — will only last about three minutes.

“Most of it is a partial eclipse where the moon will slowly start to block the sun,” Kern says. “The annular eclipse, where you get that ring of fire effect, is a little over three minutes for us. If you’re right in the center, you might get four-ish minutes. That’s a really short amount of time, but during that time, it’s really neat because it does almost become night.”

Logistically, visitors will have to figure out where they want to be and then commit to a plan. The parking lots at El Malpais open at 7 a.m., and Kern says they will probably fill up quickly, both at the visitor center and at Sandstone Bluffs Overlook.

“We’re going to do the El Malpais Visitor Center, which is right off I-40 and really easy to get to,” says Kern. “And the other location will be Sandstone Bluffs, which is a little farther down Highway 117. It’s a really pretty spot. However, it is probably only going to be able to fit about 35 or maybe 40 cars maximum. So that’ll be a little harder to get into but a really nice spot to view the eclipse. We’re working with the City of Grants to have a shuttle system that’ll go between all of the eclipse locations in town to drop people off.

El Malpais is free to enter, and Kern says that the national monument is dog-friendly, although some of the lava trails can be tough on their feet. Visitors to El Malpais generally spend their time hiking or exploring caves, but the monument has restricted caving due to a fungus that affects the local bat population.

Kern hopes to see a banner crowd on October 14 and says that having viewed a total solar eclipse is one of the highlights of her life in nature.

“I was at Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons during the last eclipse, so I got to experience totality,” she says. “I was by a little lake and all these insects started coming out. It felt like night, and it got so cold. And it was August, so we were all wearing shorts and T-shirts, and we were all freezing. It was absolutely amazing. It was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. … It’s just something that everybody should try to experience.”

FALL INTO A RING OF FIRE

The eclipse will make its way across New Mexico, creating an arc of cool spots across the state to do some sky watching and learning. Check out the following eclipse-enjoying opportunities.

New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science,

1801 Mountain Road

NW, Albuquerque; nmnaturalhistory.org

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science hosts a number of events in the lead-up to the eclipse, including workshops in which participants can make their own eclipse glasses. On the day of the eclipse, viewing monitors inside the facility will broadcast a view from the museum’s telescope and observatory among other live coverage.

Johnson Field at the University of New Mexico,

2401 Redondo Drive NE,

Albuquerque; eclipse.unm.edu

Faculty, students, and staff will gather at UNM’S Johnson Field to watch the eclipse and to learn about the phenomenon. Find demonstrations on using pinhole cameras to view the eclipse, and telescopes will be arranged throughout the field to enable visitors to safely view the eclipse.

Petroglyph National Monument, Western Trail NW, Albuquerque; nps.gov/

petr

Parking is first come, first served at Petroglyph, and the lots will close as soon as capacity is reached: Four locations inside the monument including the Volcanoes Day Use Area have 159 spots. Maximum annularity occurs at 10:37 a.m. at Petroglyph.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, 5000 Balloon Fiesta Parkway, Albuquerque; balloonfiesta.com

This year, the annular eclipse lines up with another major Albuquerque event: Mass Ascension at the International Balloon Fiesta. Many of the passenger balloons start going up at 7 a.m. on October 14, and most of them will be back on the ground when the eclipse starts at 9:13 a.m. Spectators will be treated to a special “eclipse glow” of balloons when the field is encompassed by darkness. Representatives from NASA will hand out eclipse-viewing glasses and will have experts on hand in the NASA tent.

Bishop’s Lodge Skyfire Patio, 1297 Bishops Lodge Road; aubergeresorts.com /bishopslodge/experiences/eclipse-weekend

Bishop’s Lodge has two events for its Ring of Fire Eclipse Weekend. Check out free stargazing on the Lamy Chapel lawn complete with an expert skyguide and fireside s’mores starting at 7:30 p.m. on October 13. On October 14, the resort will offer free refreshments, educational programming, and kidfriendly activities starting at 9 a.m. RSVPS are required for both events.