SOLAR ECLIPSE DARKENED SKIES OVER ARGENTINA, CHILE

A total solar eclipse darkened the skies over Argentina and Chile on Monday (Tuesday, December 15, 2020 in Manila).

The eclipse began around midday over the city of Saavedra on Chile's Pacific coast. The moon's shadow later moved south-east via Pucon to Junin de los Andes in Argentina, before it continued over Valcheta until Salina del Eje on the Atlantic coast, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

During a total eclipse, the moon stands exactly between Earth and the sun, covering the sunlight. In Chile the sky was mostly covered by clouds with some rain, but on the Argentinian side of the Andes mountains the eclipse was clearly visible in many areas.

In the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires it was only visible as a partial eclipse, as the moon only covered 75 per cent of the sun. This was the second total solar eclipse in the region in a year and a half, with the last seen in July 2019 over Chile and Argentina, though a little more to the north.