There are natural phenomena that are so astounding to experience that the event remains in the mind forever. Several years ago I experienced a total eclipse in Oregon and found it thrilling, so the opportunity to view an annular solar eclipse in New Mexico sounded wonderful. An annular eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun at a time in its elliptical orbit when it is more distant from Earth. This allows the sun to peek around the moon on all sides, creating a ring of fire. The New Mexico skies were clear, except for a thin film of high clouds that creates the orange glow around the sun and moon. It was wondrous to experience, and I and my companions all had to put on down jackets when the eclipse occurred to ward off the sudden cold.

LOCATION: Edgewood, New Mexico, USA

LIMITED EDITION: This photographic print is part of a limited edition produced by photographer Lee Rentz. The edition consists of 250 prints, which includes all sizes and methods of printing.