Black sun over Chile
A total solar eclipse is an extraordinary, deeply impressive natural phenomenon. If the observation conditions and the location also provide the right framework, it becomes an unforgettable experience.
It's cold and dark, the thermometer shows three degrees outside. It doesn't seem much warmer to me in the apartment I've rented for a few days, which - as is apparently common in Chile - is not equipped with heating, but only with an electric heater that cannot hide its alibi function. Nevertheless, what prompts me to leave the warm duvet early is the prospect of an extraordinary natural phenomenon. Today, in the afternoon of Feb. On July 1st, the sun will be eclipsed by the moon for almost two minutes, and I have the opportunity to observe this total solar eclipse from one of the best locations: the La Silla Observatory, which is part of the European Southern Observatory ESO, about 600 kilometers north of Santiago de Santiago Chile operates on the edge of the Atacama Desert.
It is quite a coincidence that the umbra of the moon passed over this research facility on the 50th anniversary of the La Silla Observatory. Well, not exactly, because the observatory is just north of the central line, which promises a totality duration of two minutes and 36 seconds. At least the sun will be completely eclipsed for another minute and 52 seconds at La Silla – long enough to make the arduous journey…
