Total solar eclipses can only be observed from certain locations on Earth (Credit: NASA.gov)
Total solar eclipses, during which the Sun briefly "disappears" in the daytime, occur about every 18 months. However, unlike lunar eclipses, which can be seen worldwide, the celestial phenomenon can only be observed within a narrow, approximately 100-mile-wide, path of totality. Moreover, total solar eclipses occur at a specific location, on average, about every 360 years. This means that the chance to observe one in real-time is truly rare and special.
The year's only total solar eclipse, which will occur on December 14, 2020, will have a path of totality extending just 56 miles across South America — from Saavedra, Chile to Salina del Eje, Argentina. The continent's other residents and those in Southeastern Africa, including Cape Town, South Africa, will be able to observe a partial solar eclipse. The rest of the world will have to tune in to NASA TV and watch the livestreams from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile via telescopes at the Observatorio Docente.