A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Tuesday, July 2, 2019, with a magnitude of 1.0459. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's and the apparent path of the Sun and Moon intersect, blocking all direct sunlight and turning daylight into darkness; the Sun appears to be black with a halo around it. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Occurring about 2.4 days before perigee (on July 5, 2019, at 6:00 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger. Totality was visible from the southern Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand to the Pitcairn Islands and the Tuamotu Archipelago and finally reaching the Coquimbo Region in Chile and central Argentina near sunset, with the maximum of 4 minutes 33 seconds visible from the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of eastern Oceania, South America, and southern Central America. A total solar eclipse crossed a similar region of the Earth about a year and a half later on December 14, 2020.

List of major cities in the path of totality

Images

Visibility

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Following the North American solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, Astronomers Without Borders collected eclipse glasses for redistribution to Latin America and Asia for the 2019 eclipses. Totality travelled over areas with low levels of humidity and light pollution, allowing for very good observations. Several major observatories experienced totality, including the European Southern Observatory.

Oeno Island

The first land surface and the only Pacific island from which totality was visible is Oeno Island, an uninhabited atoll in the Pitcairn Islands.

Chile

Totality was visible in a large portion of Coquimbo Region and small parts of Atacama Region. Cities in the path included La Serena and La Higuera. Approximately 300,000 people visited La Serena to view the event. Tickets to view the eclipse from the European Southern Observatory were sold for US$2000 each.

Argentina

Totality was visible in the provinces of San Juan, La Rioja, San Luis, Córdoba, Santa Fe, and Buenos Aires. Cities in the path included San Juan and Río Cuarto. The path of totality finished at the Samborombon Bay, where the eclipsed sunset was observed from San Clemente del Tuyu.

Gallery

Eclipse details

Shown below are two tables displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. The first table outlines times at which the moon's penumbra or umbra attains the specific parameter, and the second table describes various other parameters pertaining to this eclipse.

Eclipse season

This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight.

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2019

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 127

Inex

Triad

Solar eclipses of 2018–2021

Saros 127

Metonic series

Tritos series

Inex series

Additional sources