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Two Minutes of Magic: The 2020 Total Solar Eclipse

Alexandra Schonfeld  12/14/2020 (Newsweek):

In a year that has been filled with many dark spots, the total solar eclipse gave people across South America a reason to look up (with their safe solar eclipse glasses). 

The only total solar eclipse of 2020 occurred Monday and was visible in full across a small section of the South Pacific, Chile, Argentina and the southern Atlantic Ocean.

Onlookers in a wider region in the Pacific, southern South America and Antarctica were able to see a partial eclipse, according to Space.com. The last total solar eclipse was in July 2019 and was dubbed the "Great South American Eclipse" as it was almost exclusively visible in South America — much like today's event.

The next time a full solar eclipse is expected is in December 2021, over Antarctica.

What is a solar eclipse? It occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun from the viewpoint of earth. A total solar eclipse happens when the entirety of the sun is covered by the moon.

It was a sight to see around Chile and Argentina as people gathered, decked out in masks, rain ponchos and solar eclipse glasses provided by American Paper Optics — a combination beyond imagination, to see this event that happens somewhere on earth once every few years. Despite heavy rain that poured down hours before the eclipse was set to be visible in parts of Chile, it cleared enough for the show to be at least partially visible to onlookers.

From each viewing spot, the eclipse lasted for as long as a bit over two minutes to as short as six seconds, according to Space.com. The moon began passing in front of the sun around 9 a.m. EST with the first sight of a total eclipse beginning about an hour and a half later.

And in a year of extraordinary news each day, it's almost no surprise that on the same day of the total solar eclipse, is also the day when the Geminid meteor shower peaked. During the evening between December 13 and 14, the shower was most visible from earth. The best time to see the show would have been around 2 a.m., according to EarthSky.org.

Myths About Glasses For A Solar Eclipse

There are a lot of myths related to solar eclipses, some of them dating back centuries in time. In ancient civilizations across the world, a solar eclipse was typically seen a harbinger of a disaster of some sort. These cultures often associated with the darkening of the sky, or near-total darkness in the middle of the day as the sign of vengefulness in the gods, the presence of demons or even the swallowing of the Earth or the Sun in some type of an apocalyptic event.

Great Promotions: Glasses for Solar Eclipse Viewing

Do you need an effective way to promote your business? You could try mailing out flyers or come up with some “special offers,” but a lot of these marketing techniques are hit and miss, and you might not get the kind of response you hope for. However, you may want to consider glasses for solar eclipse viewing for your next promotion. Here are some reasons eclipse glasses are a good idea.

Nuevamente es momento de los anteojos de eclipse para American Paper Optics

MEMPHIS, Tennessee--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Paper Optics, la compañía de fabricación de anteojos 3D más grande del mundo y el mayor proveedor de anteojos de eclipse para el eclipse total de Estados Unidos de 2017, se ha estado preparando los últimos 18 meses para el próximo gran eclipse que cruzará América del Sur el 2 de julio. La compañía ya ha producido más de 2 millones de anteojos, así como un folleto de 32 páginas, videos y otros materiales promocionales para el eclipse que recorrerá Chile y Argentina en unos pocos meses.

It’s Eclipse Glasses Time Again for American Paper Optics

American Paper Optics, the largest 3-D glasses manufacturing company in the world and the single biggest supplier of eclipse glasses for the 2017 U.S. total eclipse, has been preparing the past 18 months for the next big eclipse that will cross South America on July 2^nd. The company has already produced over 2 million glasses, as well as a 32-page booklet, videos and other promotional materials, for the eclipse that will cross Chile and Argentina in just over 2 months.