Many thanks to blue skies and perfect weather, the 2023 Annular Eclipse attracted over 100,000 people to a Sold Out event at the 51st Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta last Saturday, October 14, 2023. Along with the hot balloons, the crowd was there to see the Ring of Fire Eclipse. This nine-day event (Oct 7 – 15, 2023) attracted approximately 828,800 guests. Attendance was up compared to their average of 750,000, and probably due to this historic eclipse event.
While this 2023 Annular Eclipse could be seen in 49 U.S. States, Mexico, and Canada, only eight U.S. states were on the direct “Path of Annularity”, including New Mexico (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos), where you could see the Ring of Fire. According to NASA, we won’t have another Annular Eclipse over the United States until June 2039, so this eclipse was a really big deal.
For months, many checked weather apps to see the future forecast for Albuquerque for October 14, 2023. And with ten days to go, The Weather Channel, AccuWeather and Apple’s Weather App had various predictions of sun and clouds. As the eclipse date got closer, clouds were predicted and many hoped for a shift. And then with two days to go, the prediction turned to blue skies and stayed there!
A 3:15 am wake-up call was a MUST for anyone navigating their way to the balloon fiesta park with 100,000+ attendees. Traffic was at a stand-still, and it took one hour to go 2.5 miles (It probably would have been faster to walk, but it was dark with a ton of cars).
The 5:45 am Drone Light Show sponsored by Sandia Resort & Casino lit up the sky with a colorful presentation. This light show set the stage for the day with meaningful shapes of New Mexico’s Route 66, chili peppers, the roadrunner, hot air balloons and Area 51 (for the 51st balloon fiesta).
The 6:00 am Dawn Patrol Show presented by Route 66 Casino Hotel and RV Resort then launched balloons in the dark to check the wind direction. It was a little chilly (43 degrees), but the adrenaline and anticipation levels were high.
And by 6:30 am, it was time for the Krispy Kreme Morning Glow with hot air balloons preparing for launch. Imagine walking around in the pre-dawn glow with colorful balloons suddenly lighting up all around you as the pilots got everything ready. You could actually walk up close to the balloons. And the pre-dawn gratitude for blue skies and low winds was off-the-charts.
During the Mass Ascension lift-off with approximately 271 hot air balloons at 7:00 am, we took fun photos of people wearing eclipse glasses in celebration of the 2023 Annular Eclipse. In reality, the balloons were not up during the actual eclipse, but it was hard to resist getting cool photos with the balloons in the background. The expressions were priceless, and represented the reaction to the “Ring of Fire” eclipse later that morning.
After the dawn balloon rise and landings, the “Ring of Fire” show started a little after 9:00 am. Based on the “Get Eclipsed: Complete Book Guide to 2 North American Eclipses” in 2023 and 2024 by Pat and Fred Espenak (aka “Mr. Eclipse”) that was in the press tent at the balloon fiesta (you can buy the book online), below is the eclipse timeline for Albuquerque:
- Partial Eclipse Begins = 9:13 am
- Annular Eclipse Begins = 10:34 am – “Ring of Fire” started
- Annular Eclipse Ends = 10:39 am – “Ring of Fire” ended
- Partial Eclipse Ends = 12:09 pm
- Duration of Annularity = 4 minutes 50 seconds
We were fortunate to see the “Ring of Fire” at the NASA tent with Christian, an Historian from NASA in New Mexico. NASA donated 80,000 eclipse glasses to the fiesta that were ISO and CE Certified and Made in the USA by American Paper Optics. NASA was handing out these eclipse glasses at the entrance gates that morning, and in their tent.
Along with wearing eclipse glasses, our team used the new Solar Snap – The Eclipse App that lets you safely take great smartphone photos using two things:
- 1. Camera filter for your smartphone made out of the same eclipse glasses material made by American Paper Optics (who made the Solar Snap – The Eclipse App with Astronomer Dr. Doug Duncan).
- 2. Free downloadable Solar Snap app that lets you Zoom, Focus and adjust the Exposure.
And for those 4 minutes and 50 seconds during the “Ring of Fire” eclipse, everyone stood in awe. What was surprising to many was how bright it stayed during the eclipse. And at the end of the Annular Eclipse peak at 10:39 am, everyone cheered and celebrated this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The good news is that if you missed the 2023 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, they’ll be back next October 2024. The balloon fiesta is the biggest event of the year in New Mexico, and balloon teams travel literally from all over the world to be part of this event. This 2023 balloon fiesta attracted more than last year, and hotels were sold out the night before the eclipse.
And the even better news is that if you missed this Annular Eclipse, there is another eclipse coming to North America on April 8, 2024. It will be a Total Solar Eclipse that will be even bigger than the 2017 eclipse. So mark your calendar, and make a plan now for where you will watch the April 8th North American Eclipse before the hotels sell out.
