The point of greatest eclipse (totality phase during 4 min 33 sec) lies in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Before reaching Chile, there is no landmass inside its totality path, but a small uninhabited atoll called Oeno (Pitcairn Islands). Going once again to Chile is rather tempting because of the good weather prospects, despite the limited mobility, and the observatories inside the path of totality; neverthless a remote observation from the remote Oeno island is even more enticing with a super-yacht. Or else Argentina near the Andes which provides both good weather prospects and mobility.
Cruise ships, such as the Paul Gauguin, will be inside the eclipse path to maximize the duration and clear sky odds, but for those who prefer to be on firm ground Chile or Argentina provide the best weather prospects, albeit wintry, at the expense of a duration cut in half and with a low black Sun (more aesthetic especially with the snow-capped Andean peaks in the foreground).
In December 2020 another total solar eclipse will cross the same two countries and cruises will be possible in both the Southern Pacific and Southern Atlantic oceans. During a period of 10 years, 2010 to 2020, both Chile and Argentina will experience three total solar eclipses plus one annular.
You can use this solar eclipse calculator to compute the local circumstances of the eclipse, and the solar eclipse timer notifies the beginning of the various events. A time exposure calculator is there to help you choose your camera settings.
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