With our star obscured by the Moon, it also should be possible to spot two giant outer planets, which lie within 1В° of each other. Be extremely careful not to point any unfiltered optical device near the Sun. Knowing where to look should let you pinpoint it through binoculars even earlier. Shining at magnitude вЂ“4.0, this planet may be visible to even casual observers up to 15 minutes before totality. The visibility of Mercury might be in question, but thereвЂ™s no doubt about Venus, which will lie nearly 25В° west of the Sun. Depending on the skyвЂ™s transparency at your observing site, it might even become visible to the naked eye. Sharp-eyed observers using binoculars will certainly spot Mercury, glowing at magnitude вЂ“1.0 during totality.

The innermost world will lie a bit more than 3В° west-southwest of our daytime star. During totality, the planet nearest the Sun will be Mercury. Observers who enjoy favorable conditions will be in for a nice planetary show. As a result, the SunвЂ™s altitude from any land location will be at least 71.4В° at mid-totality. At the moment of greatest eclipse, the SunвЂ™s right ascension will be 17h30m06s and its declination will be вЂ“23вЃ5'32'. In December, the Sun and Moon lie in Ophiuchus the Serpent-bearer, one of the southernmost constellations the Sun passes through during the year. All told, only about 5 percent of this eclipseвЂ™s totality path falls on land. This year, the only other land off of the main mass of South America to experience totality will be Isla Mocha, a Chilean island. The MoonвЂ™s umbral shadow during the total solar eclipse on December 14, 2020, will race across the same two countries - Chile and Argentina - as it did during the eclipse of July 2, 2019. Unfortunately, the next eclipse sporting that duration wonвЂ™t occur until July 16, 2186. Solar totality lasts a maximum of 7 minutes 29 seconds. The lucky individuals under the dark inner shadow, or umbra, will experience a total solar eclipse.Д«ut, although dramatic, the event is brief. If youвЂ™re beneath the lighter outer region of the shadow, called the penumbra, youвЂ™ll see a partial eclipse. On the other hand, the MoonвЂ™s shadow barely reaches EarthвЂ™s surface during solar eclipses. ItвЂ™s usually less, because the Moon often passes either above or below the shadowвЂ™s center. If the Moon passes through the center of EarthвЂ™s shadow, totality can last as long as 106 minutes. The reason is simple: During a lunar eclipse, anyone on the nightside of our planet under a clear sky can see the Moon passing through EarthвЂ™s shadow.Д®ven at the MoonвЂ™s distance, EarthвЂ™s shadow is much larger than the lunar disk. The greatest of natureвЂ™s spectacles: a total solar eclipse.ДЄlthough total solar eclipses occur more often than total lunar ones, more people have seen the latter. On December 14, celestial drama once again unfolds as the Sun and Moon line up with Earth to produce

Umbra rix