News-Sun: Hobbs is ‘ground zero’ for Oct. 14 annular eclipse

The City of Hobbs is one of the few areas from which people will be able to see the totality of the annular eclipse of the sun, which will likely attract “eclipse chasers,” a term equivalent to a storm chaser that seeks to witness storms, the Hobbs News-Sun stated in an insightful new report.

The annular solar eclipse begins in Hobbs at 9:17 a.m. and ends at 12:18 p.m., with the sun expected to be at its most hidden at around 10:43 a.m., according to timeanddate.com.

Hobbs is ground zero for Annular Eclipse Oct. 14

Joel A. Keranen, professor of mathematics, physics and engineering at New Mexico Junior College, told the News-Sun that Hobbs will be akin to ground zero for viewing the eclipse, as the city is in “the center line of the annularity.”

The News-Sun further describes an opportunity to see the sun’s outer atmosphere, which is normally lost in the sun’s glare, and adds it is possible to see “beads of light streaming through the valleys of the moon, called Baily’s beads,” and also the short-lived “diamond ring” effect.

The newspaper additionally noted a 20-minute or so period during which the temperature will drop, related to the “deep twilight” caused by totality.

Keranen will host a viewing area at NMJC near the Western Heritage Museum (make certain to bring solar glasses!).

We encourage our readers to check out the full News-Sun report, which goes into greater detail about annular eclipses from a local expert’s point of view.