Solar eclipse of July 2, 2019

The total solar eclipse on July 2, 2019 takes place mainly over the southern Pacific Ocean. Towards the end of darkness sweeps over the umbra of the moon the South American continent from west to east, the darkness ends near the Rio de la Plata.

The previous total solar eclipse will take place on August 21, 2017, almost two years earlier. In between there is a relatively long period of time without a central eclipse, but there occur four partial solar eclipses in which the shadow cone of the moon touches the earth only.

Course

The umbra hits Earth for the first time 2000 km east-northeast of New Zealand. Then the shadow path passes over the Pacific Ocean, touching hardly mainland, the uninhabited atoll Oeno lies in the zone of totality. The maximum of the eclipse occurs at 19:23 UT (Universal Time ) in the Pacific (17 ° 23 ' S, 108 ° 59' W 17.378333333333 - 108.98 ). The maximum duration of 4 minutes and 33 seconds of totality is reached on the central line there, the umbra is 201 km wide.

Counter 20:40 UT the umbra in northern Chile reached the South American mainland. The afternoon sun ( 16:30 local time) is there only about 14 degrees above the horizon, as is in the southern hemisphere winter in July. The duration of totality is then already fallen to 2 minutes and 30 seconds. In Coquimbo Chile's west coast, just south of the center line, a totality of 1 minute and 56 seconds to watch.

Then the shadow path crosses the South American continent, visited Argentina and the umbra leaves slightly southwest of Buenos Aires the earth.