Chile awaits total eclipse of the sun

After last year's mass gathering in the Atacama desert, the Araucania region was expecting a tourism bonanza but Covid put paid to that

Santiago: Chileans will turn their eyes to the sky on Monday to admire a total eclipse of the sun, but unlike last year’s phenomenon their numbers will be severely reduced by coronavirus restrictions. Some 300,000 people turned out in July 2019 in the Atacama desert in Chile’s north, home to several observatories.

On Monday it will be the turn of the Araucania region in the south that is home to the Mapuche indigenous community to observe the eclipse. Their ability to do so will be severely hampered by the latest measures announced on Thursday by the government, restricting the movement of people outside of the Santiago metropolitan area after a spike in positive virus cases.

To observe the phenomenon, when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, entirely blocking the latter, one needs to be in the exact 90-kilometer long area that will enjoy the full effect. And they will only have two minutes, nine seconds at around 1:00 pm to see the eclipse, framed by the backdrop of the Villarrica volcano – one of the most active in the country.

The eclipse will then cross the imposing Andes mountain range to be visible also in Argentina, notably in the popular tourist destination of Bariloche. It will then disappear over the southern Atlantic.

“A two-minute night during which nature changes,” is how Chilean astronomer Jose Maza described the moment the daytime sky turns violet before surrendering to obscurity and revealing stars and planets such as Jupiter, Saturn and Venus.

“At the moment of the eclipse the temperature falls around five degrees (Celsius) and the wind picks up, so if people aren’t under shelter they’ll feel a bit cold,” he added.

Every year there are two total eclipses of the sun but depending on the time of day or year they may not be visible. While last year’s took place at dusk, this time it will be in the middle of the day.

“At midday the phenomenon will be high in the sky and the eclipse will be much more visible,” said Maza.