Thank you, Shiprock!

By now, you’ve undoubtedly seen dozens, if not more, images of the annular eclipse that occurred on October 14. There are some awesome images out there! If you’ve had enough of these images, please feel free to move on. I was fortunate to witness annularity at the Shiprock formation in northwest New Mexico. It was a perfect location and perfect conditions for the event! Not a cloud in the sky and, well, what can I say about Shiprock. I’ve been fascinated by this formation since my first journey there in 2013. Since then, I’ve wanted to get back, but other adventures have always taken priority. So, months ago, when I saw that the centerline of annularity passed near Shiprock, I knew my first choice for a location for the annular eclipse of 2023.

Shiprock is sacred private land on the Navajo Nation, and its necessary to have a local guide in order to drive onto the land surrounding the formation. I didn’t realize this during my first visit, and I suspect a lot of people don’t know that now either. So, I wanted to note that this image was taken in compliance with local regulations. I had an awesome local guide. Thank you, Kialo! @navajotoursusa. I’ve learned my lesson and I hope others can help spread the word about visiting this beautiful area.

The solar images in this composite were taken through a solar filter. Each image was taken four minutes apart. I captured a foreground image without the filter, then assembled the composite in Photoshop. I tried to approximate my recollection of the lighting conditions during maximum annularity by underexposing the foreground 1.5 stops. I’m quite happy with the result since it nicely matches my plan for this eclipse.

The annular eclipse was cooler than I thought it would be. I admit that I’m an eclipse snob and it’s either totality or nothing. However, I’m glad I made the effort to experience this one. I was amazed how cool the temperature was during annularity. The time of day, the dry air, and altitude provided perfect conditions for a rapid drop in temperature. And it cooled off quickly! The other thing I love is the creepy gray light that occurs just before and after annularity.

Thank you, Shiprock!