The First Total Solar Eclipse since 2017 Has Just Passed over Parts of South America
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Yesterday saw the first total solar eclipse since 2017. Parts of Chile and Argentina were momentarily covered in darkness as the moon passed directly between the Sun and Earth.
Millions spectated, in person as well as online. Photos have surfaced from the event and NASA, famous astrophysicists and countless people have all been posting about it on the web.
RELATED: 5 SCINTILLATING FACTS ABOUT SOLAR ECLIPSES AND WHY THEY HAPPEN
A celestial phenomenon
After parts of Chile and Argentina experienced the event, Al Jazeera News revealed photos of the solar eclipse in a tweet:
First photos of the solar eclipse as it passes over Chile and Argentina https://t.co/ghvyI39r83 pic.twitter.com/uVbrPLozN6
— Al Jazeera News (@AJENews) 2 July 2019
Thousands of outlets have reported on the incident, which was the first full total solar eclipse since 2017 — did you know that during that event, bees across the US fell silent as a result of the eclipse?
Followed by a Moonshadow
How do solar eclipses occur?
The Moon's orbit usually doesn't pass between the Earth and the Sun — it doesn't orbit at 90° relative to the Sun. However, occasionally it will line up perfectly for a few brief moments, causing a total solar eclipse.
Two types of shadow are cast onto the Earth by an eclipse; the umbra and the penumbra.
The umbra is the inner Moon's shadow and any location it passes over will be witness to a total solar eclipse.
The penumbra, meanwhile, is cast by the Moon's outer shadow. Locations beneath it will experience a partial eclipse.
This image of Argentina and Chile by NASA, shows the path of the total solar eclipse.
As the Moon is smaller than the Earth, when it passes between the Earth and the Sun, only precise locations on Earth will experience the eclipse.
Millions of spectators
Countless people worldwide witnessed the event in one way or another. NASA live-streamed the event to hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. After the eclipse, in typically bombastic style, Neil deGrasse Tyson announced:
The Moon’s Shadow in space touches down on Earth this afternoon — crossing Chile & Argentina.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) 2 July 2019
Behold, a Total Solar Eclipse. pic.twitter.com/CGkjy43slh
Al Jazeera News reported that tourists from all over the world flocked to Chile and Argentina to view the celestial event.
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