Thousands of Chileans, Argentines gape at total solar eclipse

Tourists from around the world gathered to witness the cosmic spectacle in Chile and Argentina to witness total solar eclipse. Chile and Argentina were the only inhabited places where the total eclipse could be seen.

Chascomus, Argentina:Tens of thousands of tourists and locals gaped skyward Tuesday as a total eclipse of the sun darkened the heavens over Chile and Argentina.

Tourists from around the world gathered to witness the cosmic spectacle, which began at 10:24 am local time (1824 GMT), crossing over a tiny atoll in the South Pacific.

Chile and Argentina were the only inhabited places where the total eclipse could be seen.

The eclipse made its first landfall in Chile at 3:22 p.m. (1922 GMT) in La Serena, a city of some 200,000 people where the arrival of more than 300,000 visitors forced the local water company to increase output and service gas stations to store extra fuel.

Police and health services were also reinforced.

Thousands jumped, shouted and screamed as the eclipse arrived.

In the Argentine town of Chascomús, dozens braved near-freezing temperatures and strong winds and claimed a spot at a pier in a lagoon, hoping to catch a glimpse of the eclipse.

"For me it is something really supreme," said Ricardo Rumie, a 68-year-old veteran eclipse-watcher, who set up his camera with a tripod and a telescope with a sun filter along the banks of the lagoon.

Some rushed to buy the cardboard-framed protective eyeglasses at the last minute.

Northern Chile is known for clear skies and some of the largest, most powerful telescopes on Earth are being built in the area, turning the South American country into a global astronomy hub.

The town of La Higuera was also plunged into total darkness.

Town officials distributed more than 2,000 cardboard-frame protective eyeglasses at local schools and community centers while workers built statues of huge sunglasses and a darkened sun on a local square.

Thousands of visitors also trekked to neighboring areas of Argentina where the eclipse also will be total.

The San Juan provincial government installed telescopes and public viewing areas.

Meanwhile, astronomers in Buenos Aires province planned to offer yoga and meditation classes during the eclipse, which will also be partially visible in other South American countries.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun and scores a bull's-eye by completely blocking out the sunlight.

The Earth's next total solar eclipse will be Dec. 14, 2020, and it also will cross Chile and Argentina, though on a different path.

In 2017, millions of people in the United States witnessed the phenomena, with a full solar eclipse visible in parts of 14 states and a partial eclipse seen in nearly the entire country.

It was the first such widespread eclipse in the US since 1918.