Annular Solar Eclipse Over Navajo County

Above, the Great American Eclipse of 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Saturday's annular eclipse will pass directly over the Four Corners.

While it will also pass over Monument Valley Tribal Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument and Navajo National Monument, those places will be closed during the time of the eclipse for tribal eclipse cultural beliefs.

The Navajo-Hopi Observer has posted an article on the eclipse which also includes detailed map of the eclipse over the Four Corners. The map shows that the city of Albuquerque will be about dead center in the path.

The article begins with:

On Saturday, Oct. 14, at 10:29 a.m. MDT, a solar eclipse will pass through the Four Corners region, starting in the northwest U.S. and making its way southeast to Texas. While just a sliver of northwest Arizona will be under the sun’s rays when it is partially blocked by the moon, the eclipse path goes diagonally through all of New Mexico.

For it’s brief 28 mile trek through Arizona, Kayenta and Chinle will be in its path, cutting northwest of Ganado. In New Mexico, the phenomenom will take place above Window Rock, Gallup, Crown Point, Shiprock and Farmington.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park (Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii in), Canyon de Chelly National Monument, and Navajo National Monument will all be under the eclipse pathway, and will be closed from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. MDT to honor the Navajo cultural beliefs.

Though thousands of people across the country will be donning protective eyewear and gazing up into the sky for the rare astrological event, many Navajos will be inside, paying their respects privately.

To read more, go here.