Annular eclipse an added treat to penultimate day of Balloon Fiesta

As the moon blocked the sunlight, its shadow dimmed the light of day on Saturday.

During this time, thousands of visitors to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta waited patiently to witness this rare event.

By 10:34 a.m., the moon set in place in front of the sun — except for the outer ring — creating a circle of light.

As that happened, the crowd erupted in cheers.

Balloon Fiesta spokesman Tom Garrity says there were supposed to be 75 balloons participating in a balloon glow during the annular eclipse, but winds picked up on the field and altered that plan.

“For safety reasons, it had to happen,” he explains.

Yet, during the eclipse, the pilots decided to make it a candlelight burn, where they pull on the burner and let it glow without the balloon attached.

The day marked the annular eclipse as well as the penultimate day of the 51st Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque.

Traffic began early as a steady flow of people packed the park beginning at 4 a.m., when the gates opened.

For Marcus and Candy Staten, a visit to the Balloon Fiesta was always on their bucket list.

The couple from south Indiana watched with amazement as the national anthem played as the ExxonMobil hot air balloon took off to start the mass ascension.

“We planned this trip over a year ago,” Candy Staten says. “It’s more beautiful to see in person. I’ve always wanted to be here to see this event.”

The couple arrived in Albuquerque with the tour and were pleased with the event.

“The solar eclipse is making it even more special,” Candy Staten says.

Marcus Staten says he hadn’t seen an event like this and, even with proper planning, they wanted to do more.

“We wanted to do a hot air balloon ride, but we found out that you have to book those at least a year in advance,” Marcus Staten says with a laugh.

The mass ascension was able to get the majority of the hot air balloons from the field to the sky, though winds kicked up and more than a dozen hot air balloons deflated on the field.

Despite the safety call, visitors could be seen snapping pictures, smiling and sharing their enthusiasm with others.

Language was no barrier with this crowd.

“Mira el globo,” Manuel Barrera tells his son while standing on the field, pointing to the dozens floating through the sky.

“This is just an amazing event,” Barrera says, experiencing it for the first time. “I’ve heard of the event and moving here, we just had to see it.”

Ken Bennett of California returned to the Balloon Fiesta this year.

Bennett left his hotel at 4 a.m. only to get stuck in traffic for a few hours getting into Balloon Fiesta Park.

Yet he didn’t let that small frustration dampen any of his joy on Saturday.

“Balloon Fiesta wasn’t this big six years ago when I was here last,” he says with a laugh. “No, it’s amazing to see people come together to celebrate something beautiful.”

NASA also broadcast from the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum and gave away 80,000 solar eclipse viewing glasses to all guests during the morning event.

Along with viewing glasses being provided, their tent includes NASA experts offering engaging presentations, exhibits and more about the eclipse and their mission.

Kelly Korreck, a NASA program scientist, says New Mexico was one of eight states in the path of the solar eclipse to have a view of the “ring of fire,” a rare phenomenon where the moon does not fully cover the sun, leaving a thin outer ring visible, making Balloon Fiesta Park a prime location to view the eclipse’s totality.

“NASA has been involved with Balloon Fiesta in the past,” Korreck says. “We’re here to help educate the visitors on the eclipse and what exactly NASA does. The eclipse is always a special event and we try to understand more each time one happens.”

While all the events around Balloon Fiesta were happening, Korreck’s team also sent up three rockets into the atmosphere before, during and at the end of the eclipse. The rockets were launched from White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico.

“These are great rocket experiments,” Korreck says. “Our focus is the sun and moon. We are looking at the Earth’s reaction to that sudden on/off of daylight.”

Balloon Fiesta was one of many sites across the state marking the annular eclipse, with events around Albuquerque and Santa Fe bringing in visitors to witness the celestial show.