On December 14, 2020, Argentine Patagonia will be the preferred setting to observe one of the most anticipated moments by astronomy lovers: the total eclipse of the sun. Around noon, the Moon will interpose itself between the Sun and the Earth, and will completely cover the sun king, a fact that will only happen again in 2048.
While lunar eclipses are visible from all points on the planet where the Earth’s natural satellite can be seen at that moment, eclipses of the sun “can only be seen in a relatively small region, so they are not so often observed” .
As pointed out by Santiago Paolantonio, engineer and specialist in Astronomy Education and Communication, and Néstor Camino, Conicet researcher in Astronomy Didactics, for the next solar eclipse we will have to wait 28 years.
The solar eclipse of December 14 will occur at noon (Argentine time) and its beginning will be observed in a northeast direction, with the sun very high on the horizon, in a strip of towns in Patagonia.
“The phenomenon begins with a partial eclipse, when the Moon covers the Sun. In this case, it will be about 2 minutes during which the Moon will face the Sun and cover it completely. Then, when another begins to run Once, the other part of the eclipse will be seen, “says Camino.
“The strip of totality begins in Junín de los Andes, crosses a little the territory of Neuquén and Río Negro, and ends in the Atlantic, at the height of the El Cóndor spa”, completes the researcher.
It has the uniqueness of being the last solar eclipse to be seen in Argentina after a series of three, which began with the 2017 lunar eclipse and included the one on July 2, 2019 in the center of the country.
Where to see the solar eclipse in Argentina: Bariloche and Esquel, ideal places
From Argentina, the solar eclipse can be seen perfectly from Neuquén and Río Negro. Both provinces announced that they will open to national tourism from December 1 and 4 respectively.
The astronomical phenomenon will generate a shadow cone in broad daylight from the coast of the Pacific Ocean, in Chile, to the beaches of Las Grutas, in Río Negro.
In Argentina it can be seen along about 400 kilometers from Sierra Colorada to Valcheta, and the entire route of the Camino de la Costa in the San Matías Gulf, from the south of Las Grutas to the El Cóndor Spa, in Viedma.
In Río Negro there will be the longest shadow time of this eclipse, which will reach 59 minutes and 10 seconds throughout its journey.
It is estimated that the main movements of people, between hikers and tourists, will occur between the Alto Valle and El Cuy; from the Viedma-Patagones region to the El Cóndor Spa and on the Camino de la Costa, to Bahía Creek.
Also in the Middle Valley from Río Colorado to Las Grutas and Valcheta; from Bahía Blanca to El Cóndor; from Bariloche to Los Menucos and Sierra Colorada; from Sierra Grande to Las Grutas and from Trelew, Rawson and Puerto Madryn also towards Las Grutas.
In Esquel, the researchers assure that 90% of the solar eclipse can be observed. “It is going to be a quite interesting partial eclipse,” they detail. And they clarify that, although the darkening effect of the sky, typical of the total eclipse, will not be perceived, “surely the temperature will decrease and there will be a notable change in brightness.”
Tips for observing the solar eclipse
Specialists are categorical: you should never look at the Sun directly without adequate protection or “during partial, annular and even total eclipses, with the exception of the period in which the totality occurs, since it can cause irreversible burns to the eye.”
If you do not have special filters, you can use dark chambers, which are made simply with tubes, aluminum foil and wax paper. To do this, the aluminum foil is placed on the tip that is directed to the Sun and a small hole is made with a pin. On the other side, a screen with parchment paper is placed. “The aluminum end is pointed at the Sun, the light passes through the little hole, it is projected and forms an image on the parchment paper screen; and there one sees the image of the eclipse”, Camino graphs.
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