Total solar eclipse will wow South America
The only total solar eclipse of 2019 will plunge parts of Chile and Argentina into darkness. Outside the 150km-wide path of totality, skywatchers will experience a partial eclipse. Winter cloudiness looms as the only potential spoiler. Eclipse watchers in Argentina will need more luck than their Chilean counterparts. The phenomenon occurs close to the horizon, often a cloud-filled line in Argentine winters. In Chile the eclipse will be higher in the sky and less likely to be obscured by cloud. La Silla lies 465 miles north of Santiago in the Elqui Valley, which is widely described as a stargazer’s dream destination. It is home to several major telescopes as well as the European observatory. At its inauguration in Mar 1969, La Silla became the largest astronomical observatory of its time, leading Europe to the frontline of astronomical research.
Prepare for the longest lunar eclipse of the century, coming up...
