On April 30 we will be able to enjoy one of the most spectacular astronomical spectacles that exist: a solar eclipse . From Chile, Argentina and some points in the south of Peru, Bolivia and Brazil or the southwest of Paraguay and Uruguay . It will be possible to see late on Saturday afternoon how the Moon covers part of the Sun’s disk , casting its shadow over these regions of the globe.
What is?
This eclipse will be partial , since the Moon will not completely hide the Sun , because it is not exactly located between the line that joins the planet with the star. However, in some points in the south of Chile and Argentina, the occultation of the Sun may reach 60%, so that more than half of the star will be hidden behind the satellite . The further north we go, the smaller portion of the Sun will be hidden, dropping up to 40% in latitudes close to Buenos Aires or Santiago de Chile and up to 20% at the height of Asunción, in Paraguay. Capitals such as La Paz or Lima will be right on the verge of 0% occultation, not being able to enjoy the eclipse even though it can be seen from other parts of Bolivia and Peru.
When to see it?
The partial solar eclipse can be enjoyed in the late afternoon, before sunset . It can start to be seen sooner the further south we are. In other words, from the southernmost regions of Chile and Argentina, the eclipse will be observed from approximately 5:00 p.m. in Chile and 6:00 p.m. in Argentina , while in the capital of both countries it will be necessary to wait half an hour more and in the regions further north and in the south of Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru can barely be seen a few minutes before sunset , an hour after it enters the south of the continent.
How to see it?
Despite the interesting nature of this phenomenon, it is essential to remember that looking directly at the Sun , even during an eclipse, is extremely dangerous . If you’ve ever used a magnifying glass or lens to focus sunlight on a sheet of paper, you’ll remember how easily it set the paper on fire. Our eyes are each one of them a lens, with which we concentrate the light that reaches us on our retina. If we look directly at the Sun for a few seconds we can burn our retina , irreparably damaging it.
This is why to observe the eclipse we must resort to instruments that allow us to carry out the observation indirectly . Either with a telescope that redirects the light received to some observation screen or, in a less professional way, using the viewfinder of a digital camera . In this way we can place the camera in the correct position without looking directly at the Sun, and take photos or videos of the eclipse without damaging our eyes.
From where can it be seen?
Since the Sun is by far the brightest object in the sky, a solar eclipse can be seen from anywhere the Moon’s shadow falls. It will not be necessary to move away from the city or look for a secluded area. Of course, we must avoid any obstacle , such as a tree or building, that can stand between our telescope or camera (because remember that looking at the Sun directly can irreparably damage your eyes), as well as cloudy or foggy areas. For the rest, the eclipse can be seen throughout Chile and Argentina, especially in the south of these countries, as well as in the regions adjacent to these two in Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru. You can find the start times of the solar occultation a few lines above.
Photos of other solar eclipses
Here are some photos of other previous solar eclipses.
In this first image we can see how the Moon hides part of the solar disk. A similar picture should be seen next April 30 from the southern half of Chile and Argentina. From other points on the continent, the satellite will hide a smaller portion of the Sun.
This image was taken during the solar eclipse that took place almost five years ago and whose totality covered the entire continental United States from west to east, leaving us with dozens of testimonies of that event.
However, that eclipse of August 2017 was total, meaning that the Moon completely hid the Sun behind its disk, which will not happen next April 30 in the eclipse that we are commenting on here. Still worth seeing.
This last photo was taken by a server, during the partial solar eclipse that could be seen from all over Europe and western Asia on the morning of January 4, 2011. Specifically, from Spain it was seen just at dawn. In the photo we see the Sun and the Moon behind some television antennas located on the roof of a nearby building. We invite you to try to capture similar images and tag us on your social networks when you share them. Always of course prioritizing safety and without exposing yourself directly to sunlight.
