Humans on Earth will experience four eclipses this year, two of the sun and two of the moon. There is a solar eclipse on Saturday.
The second of two new moons in the month of April will occur during the partial solar eclipse of April 30.
The moon's dark shadow will completely miss the Earth during the upcoming solar eclipse, which will take place at the South Pole.
A partial eclipse of the moon will be visible in southern and western parts of South America, as well as in the South Pacific and Southern Ocean.
How to watch a solar eclipse.
The greatest eclipse, or the moment when the axis of the moon's shadow cone will be closest to Earth's center, will take place over the Southern Ocean.
The sun will barely clear the west-northwest horizon with nearly two-thirds of its diameter hidden behind the moon. The haze on the horizon could be reddened by the sun's light, giving it the appearance of a slice of cantaloupe melon. There will be no part of the eclipse visible from the Northern Hemisphere.
We have a guide on how to photograph a solar eclipse that is safe. We can help you pick the best gear to catch them on camera.
I used Eclipsewise.com to calculate the viewing circumstances for some cities in South America that are within the viewing zone of the eclipse.
The sun is not visible. The fraction of the solar diameter that is covered at maximum is called the magnitude. The amount of coverage of the sun's disk is called obscuration.
| City | Eclipse Starts | Maximum | Magnitude | Obscuration | Sunset |
| Santiago | 4:32 p.m. | 5:36 p.m. | 0.41 | 29% | 6:03 p.m. |
| Ushuala | 4:46 p.m. | 5:57 p.m. | 0.62 | 52% | 6:08 p.m. |
| Asunción | 5:12 p.m. | --- | --- | --- | 5:22 p.m. |
| La Paz | 5:38 p.m. | 6:01 p.m. | 0.05 | .01% | 6:15 p.m. |
| Buenos Aires | 5:42 p.m. | --- | --- | --- | 6:12 p.m. |
| Montevideo | 5:43 p.m. | --- | --- | --- | 6:03 p.m. |
A solar eclipse can only happen at a new moon phase when the sun, moon and Earth are in a straight line. The moon is slightly off-kilter relative to the Earth's plane of motion, by an amount of just over 5 degrees. When the moon arrives at a new moon phase, it passes above or below the sun, meaning there is no eclipse.
The point where the Earth and moon cross is called a node. A solar eclipse will occur if the moon is new. If the moon arrives at the nodes within several hours of a new phase, the sun-moon-Earth alignment will be such that the moon will appear to pass directly in front of the sun, resulting in a solar eclipse.
In the case of the upcoming solar eclipse, the moon will reach a new phase 23 hours and 26 minutes before it reaches the point. It is too far away to allow the moon to pass directly in front of the sun, but still close enough to allow the moon to cover a part of the sun.
Do not look directly toward the sun if you are in a viewing zone for the solar eclipse.
There are some safety tips for watching a solar eclipse.
There are more safety tips here.
There will be a second solar eclipse in October. This eclipse will be a partial one, but the moon's penumbral shadow will fall on the Northern Hemisphere.
The event will be visible from northern and eastern Africa, most of Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and a part of northern and western Russia.
There will be two solar eclipses in 2023. The eclipse will be visible from the Indian Ocean, western Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Ocean.
On October 14, 2023, an eclipse will sweep from the Pacific coast of Oregon to the Texas Gulf Coast. The track of annularity will go down through Mexico, down through Central America, and across the northern part of South America. Most of the Western Hemisphere will see a partial eclipse.
We wish you clear skies and safe viewing if you are in the South American eclipse viewing zone.
The best deals on eclipse glasses are available today.
The instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium is Joe Rao. He writes about astronomy for a number of publications. Follow us on social media.
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