On the morning of Saturday, Oct. 14, the Moon will pass over the Sun during an annular solar eclipse. Roswell is one of
the best viewing locations as it is located along a relatively narrow strip on the Earth’s surface in which the Moon will be
centrally located in front of the Sun creating a “ring-of-fire” effect. The eclipse will start at 9:15 a.m. when the Moon
appears to touch the edge of the Sun. The Moon will be most in line with the center of the Sun at 10:41 a.m. and the full
eclipse will end at 10:43 a.m., with the second partial eclipse ending at 12:15 p.m.
This rare and spectacular event will kick off the Roswell Science and Art Festival, a free community event presented by
the Roswell Museum in collaboration with local and regional educational, science and cultural leaders at the Roswell
Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. As part of the festival, NASA researchers, along with Robert H. Goddard
Planetarium staff, will be on site during the eclipse answering questions and providing information. Free eclipse glasses,
to view the eclipse safely, will be distributed.
This is the fourth year of the festival, which aims to inspire the next generation of creative and innovative thinkers. The
event will present dozens of science and art experiences in and around the convention center for a full day of fun and
learning for all ages. Activity areas will include a Make Lab for hands-on art and STEM experiences, a Science Museum
with demonstrations and displays, the outdoor Wonder Garden with Magic Fort-Building and Giant Bubbles, a room
dedicated to play-and-learn constructions called Buildopolis, a Drone Obstacle Course, and Tinker Tots with activities
designed for younger visitors to the event. Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell’s STEM Lab will be presenting star
shows in an inflatable planetarium, while next door at the Roswell Museum, the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium will be
premiering a new full-dome show titled “Tales of a Time Traveler” at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Dozens of local and regional museums, schools, colleges, state agencies, nonprofits and businesses make the event
possible. Participating groups include Explora science center, the Miniatures and Curious Collections Museum, Anderson
Museum of Contemporary Art, Sidney Gutierrez Middle School, Roswell High School, New Mexico Military Institute, New
Mexico Tech University’s Robot Combat Outreach Team, ENMU-R’s STEM Lab and Aviation Maintenance Technology,
SystemsGo New Mexico, Chaves County Cooperative Extension Service, Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park,
Smokey Bear Historical Park, Hawks Aloft, Conquistador Council BSA (Boys Scouts of America), Keep Roswell Beautiful,
AirPlay Media, Xcel Energy, Home Depot, and Plateau, as well as others.
The Roswell Convention Center is located at 912 N. Main St. This event is generously funded by Xcel Energy Foundation
and the RMAC Foundation. For more information, visit roswellmuseum.org or call 575-624-6744.