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- BBC World News
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Image source, Getty Images
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Last 2019, a total solar eclipse could be enjoyed in Argentina.
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On Monday, December 14, there will be one of those events that only the most fortunate can enjoy live.
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It is a solar eclipse that can be seen partially in several countries in South America and other regions of the world, but that can be seen in its entirety at points in Chile and Argentina.
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For 24 minutes, the new Moon will pass over the face of the Sun and will cover you completely for just over two minutesexplains astronomer Tania de Sales Marques, from the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London, UK.
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This route of the Moon makes the day turn into night for a few minutes.
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Those who are or go to privileged points to enjoy the phenomenon, must drink certain precautions for that your eyes are not damaged and, in this 2020 pandemic, also monitor social distancing measures, experts warn.
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What is a total solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon align in such a way that the latter gets in the way of sunlight before reaching our planet.
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“The Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun”, explains Sales Marques, but it seems bigger because it is much closer to us and so it can “cover the entire disk of the Sun”.
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When such an event occurs in the middle of the day, it causes sudden darkness for a few minutes.
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Where can the next eclipse be seen?
The path of the Moon in front of the Sun will throw a curtain of darkness over the southern tip of South America, around noon.
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The eclipse can be partially enjoyed from several countries on the continent such as Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and Argentina.
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Image source, Getty Images
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It is recommended to use telescopes with special filters, among other objects, to enjoy the eclipse safely.
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From the last two, however, there are areas where the eclipse can be seen in its entirety.
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In Chile, these areas are located in the regions of lto Araucanía, los Ríos and Biobío.
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In Argentina, on the other hand, the zone of maximum eclipse will be appreciated in the northern Patagonia.
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NASA notes that the eclipse can also be observed from some areas in the southern Atlantic and Pacific oceans and Antarctida.
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De Sales indicates that “there can be up to five solar eclipses in a single year, but a total solar eclipse will only occur approximately once every 18 months, when the Moon is in the correct position to completely block the sunlight.”
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The next complete solar eclipses will be in Antarctica (December 2021), Indonesia and Australia (April, 2023), the US and Canada (April, 2024), southern Europe and Greenland (August, 2026), and the most of North Africa and the Middle East (August, 2027).
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How to see the eclipse?
To see a solar eclipse safely it is necessary to have glasses or special manual viewers, which have filters that block harmful sun rays.
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It is important that the instruments are certified and filter more than 99.999% of sunlight.
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Telescopes, cell phones, cameras and binoculars can also be used if they have special filters attached to observe the Sun.
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If these considerations are not taken into account, looking directly into the eclipse can cause permanent damage to your eyesight.
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It should also be considered that in 2020, territorial displacements could be limited by the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Chilean government, for example, drew up a special health plan for the eclipse of December 14, which includes all current travel restrictions.
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