Los Alamos Public Schools hosted a community-wide collaboration this morning to provide the opportunity for people of all ages to view the 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse from the courtyard at Los Alamos High School (LAHS). Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

A large crowd gathered in the courtyard this morning at Los Alamos High School to view the 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse in the sky and on a big screen shown here as the eclipse formed a ‘ring of fire’ to the delight of those in attendance. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Wow … watching the 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse this morning dazzled community members of all ages at the special viewing event set up in the courtyard at Los Alamos High School. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Staff Report

Los Alamos Public Schools hosted a community-wide collaboration this morning to provide community members of all ages the opportunity to view the 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse from the courtyard at Los Alamos High School.

Collaboration members included Los Alamos County Recreation Division, Los Alamos County Library System, Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC), U.S. National Park Service staff from Bandelier National Monument and Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Pajarito Astronomers, Los Alamos MainStreet, Eye Associates and others.

The event featured free eclipse glasses, viewing safety information, projection of the eclipse on a large outdoor screen, National Park Service programming, educational booths and science activities for all ages, school clubs, food vendors, music and more.

All activities paused between 10:15 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. to allow participants to view the eclipse as it moved in and out of the annular phase with the maximum eclipse happening at 10:36:57 a.m. Los Alamos lies within the 125-mile wide path of annularity. This geographic location makes Los Alamos a part of the select few—about 0.4 percent of the entire world population—who were in the central path of the eclipse. The sun appeared as a perfect “ring of fire” this morning when the moon passed directly between the earth and the sun.

Scene from the solar eclipse viewing event this morning at LAHS. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Scene from the solar eclipse viewing event this morning at LAHS. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Ellis Bird views the Annular Solar Eclipse this morning from LAHS. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

The Hill Stompers award-winning jazzy street band entertained the crowd and added to the excitment of the solar eclipse event this morning in the courtyard at LAHS. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com