The first total solar eclipse anywhere in the world after the Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017 comes to Chile and Argentina near sunset on July 2, 2019. The shadow of the Moon first touches Earth at the moment of sunrise at 37 South, 160 West in the South Pacific, east of New Zealand and south of Polynesia. Across the vast expanse of the Pacific, totality visits only one uninhabited island, Oeno, near Pitcairn Island.

While the eclipse of July 2, 2019 comes during the Austral winter, the sub-tropical latitude of about 30 degrees South will moderate temperatures. The Andean region at this latitude is famous for low humidity and clear skies at high altitudes. This bodes well for the prepared eclipse chaser and to stack your odds, consult the definitive web page on eclipse climatology for this eclipse is at eclipsophile.com/total-solar-eclipse-july-2-2019/

The focus for most eclipse chasers will be Chile and Argentina. Because landfall happens near the end of the path of totality, it will be near sunset for those viewing the total solar eclipse. The total eclipse will be approximately 12 degrees high when crossing the Andes in Chile and this will cause eclipse chasers to be careful to select a site not in a mountain shadow at that time. Another risk of a low sun altitude is that your line-of-sight to the eclipse could intercept more clouds. The maps on this page are custom designed to provide vital information to the prepared eclipse chaser, offering alternatives should the primary site be cloudy.

The total solar eclipse is significantly longer at sea for a maximum of 4 minutes and 33 seconds. Most of the path across the Pacific is far from any land, except near some southern islands of French Polynesia as well as Pitcairn Island, famous for a long-ago mutiny.

An interesting circumstance is that the total solar eclipse ends at sunset in the southern suburbs of Buenos Aires. For Argentinians in this area, an obstruction-free horizon, an elevated viewing site, and perfectly clear weather are needed for success. But should these circumstances align, perhaps from tops of buildings, it will be an unforgettable sight.