Today the only total solar eclipse this year will take place, and a lucky few will be able to witness the Moon pass directly in front of the Sun, blocking its light for a few minutes. This total solar eclipse will have a longer duration than last year’s total solar eclipse, with totality lasting up to 4 minutes and 33 seconds. The eclipse will be visible from South America but is available to live stream for those not wanting to miss it.
Parts of South America and the South Pacific will be able to witness the astrological phenomenon today.
The total solar eclipse will be visible across a 125-mile (200km) wide path which measures from coast to coast across Chile and Argentina.
Countries nearby such as Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Ecuador will be able to witness a partial eclipse, as only part of the Sun will be blocked.
The full eclipse will be able to be seen at 6.01pm UTC (7.01pm BST), with the maximum eclipse peeking at 7.22pm UTC (8.22pm BST).
The total eclipse will be visible in
- La Serena, Chile
- San Juan, San Juan, Argentina
- Bragado, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Junín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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A partial eclipse will be visible in
- Rarotonga, Cook Islands
- Alofi, Niue
- Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
- Gambier Islands, French Polynesia
- Adamstown, Pitcairn Islands
- Stanley, Falkland Islands
- Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
- São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Quito, Ecuador
- Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Santiago, Chile
- Lima, Lima, Peru
- Montevideo, Uruguay
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- La Paz, Bolivia
- Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Sucre, Bolivia
- Asuncion, Paraguay
- Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil
The eclipse is also available to live stream, with sites such as NASA, Slooh, San Francisco Exploratorium and European Southern Observatory (ESO) providing footage of the event.
ESO will switch between three telescopes and will begin at 3.15pm EDT (8.15 BST), which is one hour and 24 minutes before totality occurs.
You can watch the broadcast here or on YouTube.
Specialist telescope website Slooh is also providing a live stream of the eclipse, with commentary by astrophysicist Dr Paige Godfrey via Slooh’s telescope partners in Chile.
However, this live stream is only available via Slooh’s paid membership, which begins at £3.91 ($4.95) per month.
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Slooh’s live stream starts at 3.15pm EDT (8.15pm BST) and Dr Godfrey said of the upcoming eclipse: “The July 2nd eclipse is the first total solar eclipse since the Transcontinental Total Solar Eclipse in summer of 2017.
“That was almost two years ago now, and people are still talking about it as the greatest celestial event of their lifetimes.
“That event has had a lasting effect that has heightened excitement for many of these to come.”
Nasa is also live streaming the eclipse, partnering with the Exploratorium in San Francisco beginning at 3pm EDT (8pm BST) and ending at 6pm EDT (11pm BST).
It will feature live views from telescopes in Vicuña, Chile, with a one hour program with live commentary available in both English and Spanish taking place from 4pm – 5pm EDT (9pm – 10pm EDT).
You can catch the live stream on NASA’s website, here.
