National parks from California to New Mexico rev up for eclipse

LA Times - Fade to ... almost dark? An annular solar eclipse will be visible in part of the West on Sunday hours before sunset when the moon will cover up all but a sliver of the sun. Inside what's called the annular path, a "ring of fire" will appear as the moon passes in front of the sun. Just about every national park in the West is hosting some type of viewing party or astronomy fest Sunday to mark the heavenly occasion. (Check out all the national park events.) The roughly 200-mile-wide path begins in southern China and sweeps east across southern Japan, the Pacific Ocean, touches land again roughly around Redding, Calif., then continues to central Nevada, southern Utah, northern Arizona, New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle, according to NASA's website. "We're just off the center line and will see about 81% coverage [of the sun]," says spokesman Kelly Carroll of Nevada's Great Basin National Park. The visitor center in Baker, Nev., will have 10 telescopes in place starting at 3 p.m. Sunday that will also be transmitting live video of the event to a screen. The annular eclipse begins there at 6:30 p.m. Pacific time. Read More News New Mexico

National parks from California to New Mexico rev up for eclipse