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Eclipse in Argentina
SAN JUAN PROVINCE
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Path of totality across San Juan Province (Argentina).
Click on the image to go to the interactive map.
Map by Xavier Jubier
Eclipse Circumstances in the Region
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Hours of sunset are for real horizon. In mountainous places, like Los Andes, the Sun will set some minutes ealier.
Bellavista and nearby villages
About 106 miles northwest of San Juan City, and about 213 miles from Mendoza City we find which I personally consider the best region to observe the eclipse on land, the village of Bellavista and other nearby small towns just a few miles apart (labelled with a pale orange square in the picture to the left). You can click on the image to get access to Xavier Jubier interactive map, so you can zoom-in or zoom-out for a more clear and detailed idea of where San Juan is in relation to Mendoza, Santiago of Chile, etc. The graphic by Anderson (see home page) shows that this region should have (in theory) the less amount of cloud fraction in early July, when the eclipse will occur next year.
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I went to that region three times and I can say that the route is enterely paved with some parts in better conditions than others. From Mendoza you need about 4 hours driving to reach Bellavista. I mention Mendoza because it is a big city (actually where I live) and there are international flights from Santiago of Chile, Sao Paulo (Brazil), Lima (Perù), and Panamà City. A good option could be to flight to Mendoza, rent a car or find an observing partner there, and go to the "hot spot" where the eclipse will show its totality for more than 2 minutes.
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If you want to stay in a big city from where to observe the eclipse, you can go to San Juan and move to the northern area of the city. From there, 51 seconds of totality will be visible. That part of the city is just on the southern end of the path.
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Bellavista
Eclipse begins: 04:25:33pm local time (07:25:33pm UT) +23°6
Start of total eclipse: 05:39:33pm local time (08:39:33pm UT) +11°7
Maximum eclipse: 05:40:48pm local time (08:40:48pm UT) +11°5
End of total eclipse: 05:42:03pm local time (08:42:03pm UT) +11°3
Sunset! 06:48pm local time (09:48pm UT)
Duration of totality: 02m 30.5s
Iglesia
Driving to Bellavista. Gorgeous view of the Andes mountains
Photo by Leo Cavagnaro
Duration of totality: 02m 29.7s
Eclipse begins: 04:25:38pm local time (07:25:38pm UT) +23°6
Start of total eclipse: 05:39:37pm local time (08:39:37pm UT) +11°7
Maximum eclipse: 05:40:52pm local time (08:40:52pm UT) +11°5
End of total eclipse: 05:42:07pm local time (08:42:07pm UT) +11°3
Sunset! 06:48pm local time (09:48pm UT)
Bellavista is the best place of the four towns there because the central line of the path of totality sweeps a flat field just a few miles south of that village (see google maps). Moreover, according to the graph by Jay Anderson, this area would have the less cloud fraction when the eclipse takes place.
Moving to the North, the duration of totality is shorter and shorter. Rodeo, the biggest town of the four ones mentioned will see 2 minutes of totality. You have, in theory, more options to find a place to stay in that bigger village.
The bigger city of Jachal, about 29 miles East of Rodeo and 99 miles North of San Juan city will see the totality, with a duration of 1minute 55 seconds,
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Las Flores
Start of total eclipse: 05:39:43pm local time (08:39:43pm UT) +11°7
Maximum eclipse: 05:40:57pm local time (08:40:57pm UT) +11°5
End of total eclipse: 05:42:10pm local time (08:42:10pm UT) +11°3
Sunset! 06:48pm local time (09:48pm UT)
Eclipse begins: 04:25:42pm local time (07:25:42pm UT) +23°6
360 degree view of a site in Bellavista where the central line of totality will cross. Video by Leo Cavagnaro
Duration of totality: 02m 26.6s
Photo Gallery of Bellavista, Iglesia, Las Flores, Rodeo
Click here
Pismanta
There is another spot to observe the totality, situated on National Route 149 ( Lat.: 30.5368° S Long.: 69.1133° W). This is a spot you can reach driving 18 minutes from Bellavista by that route. The video below is a 360 view of the site. I am personally concerned if the hill to the west (visible in the video) can be a problem to see the last part of the eclipse before the Sun sets behind the Andes mountains.
Eclipse begins: 04:25:43pm local time (07:25:43pm UT) +23°6
Start of total eclipse: 05:39:46pm local time (08:39:46pm UT) +11°8
Sunset! 06:48pm local time (09:48pm UT)
Maximum eclipse: 05:40:58pm local time (08:40:58pm UT) +11°6
End of total eclipse: 05:42:10pm local time (08:42:10pm UT) +11°4
Duration of totality: 02m 26.6s
Observing site on national route 149 (San Juan).
Video by Leo Cavagnaro
Highway 40 site
Rodeo
Eclipse begins: 04:25:55pm local time (07:25:55pm UT) +23°6
Start of total eclipse: 05:39:58pm local time (08:39:58pm UT) +11°7
Maximum eclipse: 05:41:06pm local time (08:41:06pm UT) +11°5
End of total eclipse: 05:42:14pm local time (08:42:14pm UT) +11°3
Driving from San Juan through this highway 69 miles to the north we can reach the spot (see map) where the central line of totality crosses it,
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Latitude: 30.7597° S
Longitude: 68.6381° W
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The video below is a 360 degree view of that site made using Google Earth.
Sunset! 06:48pm local time (09:48pm UT)
Duration of totality: 02m 15.7s
Jachal
Eclipse begins: 04:26:31pm local time (07:26:31pm UT) +23°3
Start of total eclipse: 05:40:28pm local time (08:40:28pm UT) +11°3
Maximum eclipse: 05:41:25pm local time (08:41:25pm UT) +11°2
Highway 40 (San Juan)
End of total eclipse: 05:42:22pm local time (08:42:22pm UT) +11°0
Sunset! 06:48pm local time (09:48pm UT)
Duration of totality: 01m 54.7s
National Route 149
Eclipse begins: 04:25:44pm local time (07:25:44pm UT) +23°4
Start of total eclipse: 05:39:37pm local time (08:39:37pm UT) +11°6
Maximum eclipse: 05:40:53pm local time (08:40:53pm UT) +11°4
Observing the Sun in H-alpha from Pismanta (San Juan). That place will see a 2min 27sec of totality.
Photo by Leo Cavagnaro
End of total eclipse: 05:42:07pm local time (08:42:07pm UT) +11°1
Sunset! 06:47pm local time (09:47pm UT)
Duration of totality: 02m 30.1s
Highway 40
Eclipse begins: 04:26:20pm local time (07:26:20pm UT) +22°9
Start of total eclipse: 05:39:52pm local time (08:39:52pm UT) +11°1
Maximum eclipse: 05:41:07pm local time (08:41:07pm UT) +10°8
End of total eclipse: 05:42:21pm local time (08:42:21pm UT) +10°6
Sunset! 06:44pm local time (09:44pm UT)
Duration of totality: 02m 28.8s
I took this picture while driving into the Andes with a group of observers. You can reach Chile by this route crossing the border through the "Paso de Agua Negra". The central line of totality will cross not far from the site shown on the picture (see Google maps), about 17 miles west of Las Flores. It is, maybe, an alternative for more adventurer observers because of the rougher conditions there taking into account the time of the year when the eclipse will occur, and the fact that the site is at higher altitude and exposed to even colder temperatures.
Marayes
Marayes
Eclipse begins: 04:27:59pm local time (07:27:59pm UT) +21°4
Start of total eclipse: 05:40:32pm local time (08:40:32pm UT) +09°6
Maximum eclipse: 05:41:44pm local time (08:41:44pm UT) +09°4
The central line of totality crosses the route RP510 at coordinates (Lat.: 31.4041° S Long.: 67.2617° W) in the zone of Marayes. From San Juan city you can reach this spot driving 2 hours to the East. From Mendoza city you need to drive 3 hours and 40 minutes to stay in the central line and watch the 2 minutes 25 seconds of totality.
