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It would only seem appropriate that the final eclipse in this eccentric year 2020 is visible only from Patagonia, nicknamed “the end of the world”, because it reaches the bottom of the South American continent.
While parts of Chile and Argentina will experience a total solar eclipse, with the moon completely blocking the sun, a partial solar eclipse will be visible only from the lower two-thirds of South America and a narrow portion of southwestern Africa. North America will not see any part of it.
The narrow path of the 2020 total solar eclipse begins over the South Atlantic Ocean at 9:33 a.m. EST (1433 GMT), about 2,400 miles (3,900 kilometers) southeast of the Hawaiian Islands, and will reach the coast 87 minutes later. of the Pacific of Chile. , at 11 am EST (1600 GMT). It will take approximately 25 minutes to travel southeast through the Patagonia section of Chile and Argentina, then continue over the South Atlantic Ocean for approximately 4,350 miles (7,000 km), without further making landfall, before reaching its end at local sunset. about 230 miles (370 km) southwest off the coast of Namibia at 12:54 pm EST (1754 GMT).
Video: Total solar eclipse in December 2020: where is it visible?
Related: Total Solar Eclipse 2020: Here’s How To Watch It Online
| Location | Starts partial | The whole begins | Duration | Partial finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saavedra | 11:38 am | 13:00 | 2 m 4 s | 2:28 pm |
| Pucon | 11:41 am | 1:03 pm | 2 m 9 s | 2:31 pm |
| Valcheta | 11:52 am | 1:16 pm | 2 min 11 s | 2:43 pm |
| Salina del Eje | 11:59 am | 1:25 pm | 6 s | 2:50 pm |
| Location | Starts partial | Maximum | Partial finals | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago | 11:36 am | 1:01 pm | 2:31 pm | 0.83 |
| Buenos Aires | 12:03 pm | 1:32 pm | 2:59 pm | 0.79 |
| Montevideo | 12:09 pm | 1:37 pm | 3:03 pm | 0.79 |
| Saint Paul | 12:45 pm | 2:04 pm | 3:16 pm | 0.43 |
| Lima Peru | 9:16 am | 10:16 am | 11:23 am | 0.28 |
| Walvis Bay, Namibia | 6:58 pm | 7:40 pm | after sunset | 0.76 |
The regions of Chile and Argentina traversed by the total eclipse are unfortunately sparsely populated. Fortunately, during your 4-minute pass over Chile, the dark shadow of the moon will pass over the cities of Villaricca (population 46,000) and Pucón (population 22,000), two popular tourist areas that are quite popular during the summer that officially begins. just a week later. Both cities have favorable weather prospects, suggesting that the weather could be good and dry for viewing the eclipse.
The point of greatest eclipse is located 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Sierra Colorada, a town and municipality in the province of Río Negro in Argentina (population 1,300). Here the width of the path is 55 miles (90 km) and the total eclipse will last 2 minutes 9.6 seconds.
Approximately 400 to 500 miles (600-800 km) to the north are the large metropolitan areas of Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Montevideo. All three cities will see a fairly large amount of sun obscured by the moon (around 75-80%). Unfortunately, everyone is too far away to experience the panoply of jaw-dropping sights that accompany the magic word “totality.”
Early views, thanks to the pandemic
Since the early 1970s, “eclipse chasing” has been in vogue, with many science expeditions, tours, and cruises transporting countless people to the anticipated narrow zone where a total solar eclipse will be visible, usually for a few precious minutes.
Sadly, it appears that this year many will be denied that opportunity due to travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some professional astronomers lament that they will be forced to miss their first total eclipse in more than 30 years! We can only hope things will be different for the next total solar eclipse scheduled for December 4, 2021.
Antarctica, anyone?
Editor’s note: If you are safely observing the 2020 total solar eclipse and would like to share the experience with Space.com for a story or slideshow, please send pictures and comments to [email protected].
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest speaker at the Hayden Planetarium in New York. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Farmers’ Almanac, and other publications. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
