The Day Of The Black Sunset

Whilst going over my travel plans, I came across this forthcoming solar event.I was thinking of being in Patagonia middle of June, but will now definetely change plans to witness this event.
(Article and photo courtesy of http://www.latinamericaforless.com/

Imagine it is early evening, and the day seems to stretch as far Tierra del Fuego. An ice expanse studded with royal blue glaciers and ultramarine watermelts surrounds you on all sides. You stand at the southernmost part of the world, poised and waiting for the sun to set.

And then, total darkness. The birds – ibis, condors, flamingoes, parakeets – flock confusedly to their nests. Guanaco, hares, foxes, and pumas scurry to their burrows. The temperature drops as the day turns to night in a matter of seconds.

The next total eclipse is due on 11 July 2010, with a Black Sunset over Chile



You have just witnessed the Black Sunset. This rare natural phenomenon, a total solar eclipse, will pass over a tiny sliver of Chile’s breathtaking Southern Patagonia just as the sun sets this July 11.

Viewing a total solar eclipse is rare, but viewing a black sunset is even more so – it involves being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. The eclipse will begin at 18.15.15 GMT in the Pacific Ocean, and will end as the Sun touches the horizon at 20:51:42 GMT in southeastern Chilean Patagonia. The next total solar eclipse will not occur until November 13, 2012.

The moment of “totality,” when the moon totally obscures the sun, will last 2 minutes and 45 seconds. At this breathtaking moment, the solar corona surrounds the dark orb of the moon like a lion´s mane. “Bailey’s Beads,” or bright spots of sunlight passing over the uneven surface of the moon, are visible, and sometimes even solar flares.