ABQ has best view for eclipse

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Albuquerque is considered to be the prime spot to view the annular eclipse on Sunday.  It's good news economically for the city as well as good news for people wanting to view the event.  However, you will want to view it from a high elevation in Albuquerque. That's because the event is taking place close to sundown and to get the full effect, you need to be high enough to at least see Mount Taylor near Grants.

This annular eclipse will have the moon covering up most of the sun and it'll appear right in the center from the prime viewing points here in Albuquerque. The moon will enter the sun's path around 6:28 p.m., then by 7:33 p.m. it will be completely in the center. It's entire time in there will be about four and a half minutes.

Since the Duke City is one of the prime areas, this is good news for us. The Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau says they are expecting viewing groups to come into town from as far away as Canada and Oklahoma.

"It'll be a late afternoon, early evening event and so we'll be hosting lots of activities here," says National Museum of Nuclear Science and History Director Jim Walther. "We'll be closing at 5 and re-opening at 6 to 8 that night so people can enjoy coming here and doing some of the activities and see the eclipse."

The next big solar event will be in a couple of weeks on June 5. It's called the transit of Venus and like it says, Venus will pass between Earth and the sun. Albuquerque is once again a prime spot to view it and you'd better not miss that one, the next time it will happen won't be until the year 2117.