For just
over two minutes
, the Moon covered the Sun and gave way to a magnificent astronomical phenomenon, enjoyed this Monday morning in Chile and Argentina.
The total solar eclipse,
the only one in 2020,
was only visible in a 56-mile strip in South America, from the port city of Saavedra, Chile, to the Atlantic coast of Argentina.
To appreciate the eclipse, despite the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
more than 100,000 people traveled to Pucón and Villarica
, south of the Chilean capital, according to official reports cited by Reuters.
The total solar eclipse was visible in a 56-mile strip between Chile and Argentina.
Despite the darkness and drizzle, the spectators of this phenomenon jumped and shouted with joy as the Moon began to cover the sunlight. For two minutes, all that was visible was the light of cell phones, according to The Associated Press .
"It was good ... we were all together, I thought it was not going to be seen, but it was
worth the two minutes
," Diego Fuentes, one of the tourists who traveled to see the eclipse, told the agency.
"I really liked it and it was good that there were clouds because we could see it a little without glasses," said little Catalina Morales, who witnessed the event with her family.
To appreciate the eclipse without damaging our eyesight,
experts ask to wear special glasses for eclipses, never with uncovered eyesight,
or to use lenses with special filters that can be fitted to telescopes and cameras.
The moon moves through the sun during a solar eclipse on the path of totality.
Solar eclipses occur when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow on our planet.
In addition to being a phenomenon that delights humans with its beauty, scientists take advantage of eclipses to
study the structure of the
Sun's
atmosphere
, the so-called solar corona that is generally not seen from Earth, explains the BBC.
Wearing a welding mask for protection, a man watches a total eclipse in Piedra del Aguila, Argentina.
But as soon as the Sun is completely eclipsed by the Moon the brilliance of the corona becomes clearly visible.
People walk on a dune in Nahuelpan, La Araucanía, Chile, to observe the total solar eclipse.
This is a great opportunity for scientists, as there are still many unknowns about the solar corona, in particular why it is hotter than the surface of the Sun itself.
In the Araucanía region, the Mapuche indigenous community performed a traditional ceremony when the sky was darkened by the eclipse.
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A woman wears special glasses to see a total solar eclipse in Piedra del Águila, Argentina.
They describe this ceremony as an
opportunity to learn and value the knowledge of their ancestors
, whose wisdom is the basis of the Mapuche culture.
Soledad Nahuelpan, a member of this community, explained that her cultural vision “speaks of the possibility of generating harmony and
understanding the harmony that exists between nature and the necessary existence of light and shadow
or darkness: neither exists without the other.
To the extent that we can broaden the understanding of what nature is teaching us, we can much more bearable with our environment and also with people ”.
A partial eclipse could be seen in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil, as well as in parts of Africa and in areas of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
However, Chile will
not see another total solar eclipse for 28 years
.
With information from The Associated Press, Reuters, BBC.