- Dates: Oct 09 - 18, 2023
- Duration: 10 days, 9 nights
- Trip Level (1-4):2
- Arrive: Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Depart:Flagstaff, Arizona
- Priced From: $6340
This tour departs in
DAYS
Highlights
- Best weather prospects for viewing the October 14th annular solar eclipse – nearly five minutes in duration – from our carefully selected site in Albuquerque.
- Spectacular sunrise balloon ascent at the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta.
- Expert-guided visits to astronomical landmarks, including Barringer Meteor Crater, the Very Large Array radio observatory, the Apache Point Observatory, and historic Lowell Observatory.
- An exclusive tour of Spaceport America, home base of Virgin Galactic.
- A visit to experience the unrivaled grandeur of the Grand Canyon.
October 2023 Albuquerque Annular Eclipse Viewing Prospects
By TravelQuest eclipse meteorologist Jay Anderson
The annular eclipse of 2023 comes at a fortunate time of year, crossing a New Mexico landscape blessed with good weather and pleasant but cool temperatures. In October, the monsoon season has ended across the American Southwest and winter is only a promise, heralded by an occasional dusting of snow on the surrounding mountain peaks. The distant Rocky Mountains wring Pacific moisture out of the air or block it altogether, and so the Southwest’s Colorado Plateau enjoys a dry, desert climate that favors the eclipse chaser.
Albuquerque, situated on the plateau and in the middle of the eclipse track, is the perfect place to view the Moon’s passage across the Sun. Not only does the city enjoy the dry environment of the Southwest, but it stands out with the highest frequency of sunshine anywhere along the eclipse track. Local measurements show that skies are sunny on 80 percent of October days – a statistic verified by past satellite images that show clear skies on eclipse day for 17 years out of 21. With its cosmopolitan, astronomy-aware population and a wealth of nearby sights to visit, Albuquerque is the perfect place to wait for an eclipse.