A southern part of Latin America was plunged into darkness as thousands of people gathered to see a solar eclipse, when the moon passes in front of the sun and temporarily darkens the Earth.
Image: picture-alliance/newscom
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Thousands of stargazers and tourists turned out across Chile and Argentina on Tuesday afternoon to observe a rare solar eclipse.
The sky darkened as the moon moved in front of the sun and cast its shadow down below, plunging a vast swath of Latin America's southern region into darkness.
"In the past 50 years we've only had two eclipses going over observatories. So when it happens and an observatory lies in the path of a totality, it really is special for us," said Elyar Sedaghati, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory in Paranal, Chile.
Both Chile and Argentina were situated under the narrow, 6,000-mile (9,650-kilometer) band of Earth that experienced the eclipse.
The natural spectacle began at 1:01 p.m. (1701 UTC) in the Pacific Ocean, and a 95 mile-wide band of total darkness reached Chile's coast at 4:38 p.m. (2038 UTC), before crossing into southeastern Argentina and the South Atlantic ocean.
The solar eclipse is seen from Coquimbo, ChileImage: Reuters/R. Garrido
Crowds gather to witness eclipse
People flocked to Chile's northern Coquimbo region near the Atacama desert, which was situated directly on the eclipse's 95-mile-wide "path of totality."
Large crowds also gathered in the town of La Higuera, some 2,400 meters above sea level and near the landmark La Silla Observatory, operated by the European Southern Observatory.
To the west, in the coastal town of La Serena, thousands of people congregated at the beach and cheered and clapped when the moon passed in front of the sun and blocked it out completely.
"This is something that they say won't repeat itself for like 300 years, so we wanted to bring our son," said Maximiliano Giannobile in Chile.
Most people witnessed the event wearing special sunglasses, or using telescopes or cameras with special filters.
"The truth is that even if one knows what's going on, it is shocking the minute that the shadow of darkness begins to come and that silence begins," astronomer Sonia Duffau told French news agency AFP.
Chile's President Sebastian Pinera joined the crowds at La Higuera to witness the eclipse.
"Today is a very important day and one we have waited for so long," said Pinera.
Pinera said Chile was "the capital of the world in terms of astronomy, we are the eyes and the senses of humanity, being able to look, observe and study the stars and the Universe."
Outside the path of the total solar eclipse, a partial eclipse was visible in the rest of Chile and Argentina as well as Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and parts of Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela and Panama, according to the US space agency NASA.
The mythological Moon
It wasn't just the first lunar landing 50 years ago that sparked people's imaginations about the Moon. We explore how the moon has profoundly influenced art and culture for thousands of years.
Image: Imago
Blockbuster of the century
With the historic moon landing on July 20, 1969, the moon could well have lost some of its mythical luster. Suddenly humans were exploring its mysteries first-hand — and even taking photographs. Science, it seemed, had finally conquered the Earth's enigmatic satellite — even its dark side.
Image: Getty Images/Nasa
Fly me to the moon
On July 27, 2018 a rare dual celestial phenomenon occurred: a relatively long lunar eclipse or "blood moon" due to the moon's change in color while shadowed by earth, and the nearest approach of planet Mars in 15 years. The very rare cosmic coincidence had sky gazers out in force. Since the beginning of time, however, the moon has been revered for its magic, mystery and cultural significance.
Image: picture-alliance/Imaginechina/S. Yipeng
Religious symbolism and astrology
People have worshipped the moon since the beginning of time, structuring their lives around its patterns and revering its perceived forces. Sometimes time was counted in moons rather than days or months. The bronze Nebra sky disc, found in Saxony-Anhalt in 1999, represents the duality of early astronomy and spirituality. The disc is estimated to be 3700-4100 years old.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
The meaning of…
In the visual arts, the moon has been used to symbolize a variety of themes: innocence, the Virgin Mary, female sexuality. However, the overwhelming association has always been one of romance. Artists frequently looked to the moon for its magic, as displayed here in Caspar David Friedrich's "Two Men Contemplating the Moon" from 1820.
Image: picture alliance/Heritage Images/Fine Art Images
Immortal muse of the poets
The moon has played a pivotal role in literature since time immemorial. In poetry, it's often used to express melancholy and longing — or often solace, as in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's poem "To the Moon." The opening verse of the poem reads: "Bush and vale thou fill'st again / With thy misty ray / And my spirit's heavy chain / Castest far away."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/U. Edelmann/Städel Museum/ARTOTHEK/The British Museum(Ausschnitt)
Howl at the moon
The moon may inspire owls and wolves to sing, but humans have also made a habit of howling at it. Famous examples include Matthias Claudius' beloved German lullaby "Gently the Moon has Risen," Elvis Presley's version of Rodgers and Hart's "Blue Moon" and Pink Floyd's seminal 1973 album "The Dark Side of the Moon."
Image: picture alliance/AP Images
Horror and romance
Mark Twain once said "Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody." Since ancient times, legends have abounded about people who turn into wolves at the full moon. The werewolf has been a perennial cinema favorite — as in "The Wolf Man" of 1941, pictured. But the moon has played a role in every genre, including romantic comedies like the 1987 romcom "Moonstruck."
Image: picture alliance/United Archives/IFTN
Eternal mystery
But the magic of the moon wasn't destroyed by its human conquest. Indeed, it still continues to inspire, and in 2013 Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and his Danish collaborator Ólafur Elíasson launched their "Moon" project. At www.moonmoonmoonmoon.com people can immortalize their own drawings of the moon. "Leave your fingerprint and see the shared moon grow as others reach out too," implores the website.
