This year’s only total solar eclipse will cross South American countries Chile and Argentina on Monday, Dec. 14.
Watch live coverage of the eclipse beginning at 9:30 a.m. EST Monday in the video player below, courtesy of Slooh.
Courtesy of Slooh: Visit Slooh.com to snap and share your own photos from this live event, and interact with our hosts and guests, and personally control Slooh’s telescopes.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon is the perfect size and distance from Earth to block out the sun entirely when their orbits cross paths. On Monday morning, the moon will cross in front of the sun and cover it entirely, creating a temporary darkness.
If the moon crosses in front of the sun when it is a bit farther from Earth in its orbit -- and, in turn, a bit smaller -- then it doesn’t cover up the entire sun and instead creates an annular eclipse, where a bright ring of sunlight can be seen around the edges.
Another total solar eclipse is expected to cross just below Detroit in 2024.
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