On December 14, 2020, the moon will draw its shadow across the southern reaches of South America, briefly erasing the sun from the sky over Chile and Argentina in the only total solar eclipse of the year. It is a celestial event that has stirred human wonder since long before we had words for it — and this time, a pandemic-altered world will witness it largely through screens rather than open skies. NASA and Time and Date have arranged livestreams so that the spectacle of totality, that fleeting marriage of darkness and corona, need not belong only to those who can travel.
Total Solar Eclipse Darkens Sun Dec. 14; Watch Online if You Miss the Path
The moon will slide in front of the sun, casting a shadow across the southern tip of South America.
Mark
Why does NASA bother with a livestream when most people can't actually see this eclipse anyway?
Mimi
Because the eclipse is real and remarkable, and geography shouldn't be the only reason you get to witness it. A livestream democratizes the experience. You're not getting the full sensory thing—the sudden cold, the shadow bands racing across the ground—but you're seeing the actual event as it happens, not a recording or an explanation.
Mark
So this is about access, not just documentation.
Mimi
Exactly. And there's something else: the Spanish-language broadcast suggests NASA is thinking about who actually lives in the path of totality. Chile and Argentina are Spanish-speaking countries. Making the broadcast in Spanish isn't just inclusive; it's practical.
Mark
What about the people who are actually there? Are they better off than the livestream viewers?
Mimi
Incomparably. If the weather cooperates, they'll see the corona with their own eyes, feel the temperature drop, experience the strangeness of midday darkness. A screen can't replicate that. But the livestream means that if you're stuck at home, you're not completely shut out.
Mark
Is there any risk to watching online?
Mimi
No. The risk is only for people looking at the sun directly or through inadequate protection. A livestream is completely safe—the telescope and camera are doing the dangerous part, and you're just watching the feed.
O Pulso
- The pandemic has grounded would-be eclipse chasers, making the narrow path of totality in Chile and Argentina unreachable for most of the world's curious.
- NASA is stepping in with a Spanish-language broadcast from a Chilean university observatory, beginning at 7:30 a.m. PT, with totality arriving at 8:02 a.m.
- Time and Date adds a second livestream from the dramatic backdrop of the Villarrica volcano, opening at 6:30 a.m. PT, giving global audiences two windows into the event.
- Those outside the totality corridor will still see a partial eclipse across much of South America and surrounding ocean regions — a bite taken from the sun, if not its full disappearance.
- Safety warnings remain urgent: eclipse glasses or pinhole projectors are essential, as even a brief unprotected glance at the sun can cause permanent eye damage.
On December 14, 2020, the moon will draw its shadow across the southern reaches of South America, briefly erasing the sun from the sky over Chile and Argentina in the only total solar eclipse of the year. It is a celestial event that has stirred human wonder since long before we had words for it — and this time, a pandemic-altered world will witness it largely through screens rather than open skies. NASA and Time and Date have arranged livestreams so that the spectacle of totality, that fleeting marriage of darkness and corona, need not belong only to those who can travel.
On Monday, December 14th, the moon will pass in front of the sun and cast a brief, traveling darkness over the southern tip of South America. For a narrow corridor of observers in Chile and Argentina — and a fortunate few at sea — the sky will go dark in the middle of the morning. It is the only total solar eclipse of 2020, arriving in a year that has made gathering and travel feel like distant memories.
NASA has arranged a Spanish-language livestream from the Observatorio Docente at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Pacific time, with totality expected at 8:02 a.m. Time and Date is streaming separately from the Villarrica volcano starting at 6:30 a.m. Together, the two feeds offer anyone with an internet connection a front-row seat to one of nature's most dramatic performances.
Beyond the path of totality, a wider swath of South America and nearby ocean regions will see a partial eclipse — the sun appearing as though a piece has been removed from its edge. NASA has published maps detailing visibility by location.
For those anywhere near the event, the safety guidance is unchanged: never look directly at the sun. Certified eclipse glasses or a simple pinhole projector are the only safe ways to observe. The consequences of ignoring that advice — permanent eye damage — arrive in seconds. This eclipse, unlike June's "ring of fire," offers the full drama of totality: sudden darkness, the sun's corona blazing into view, and a drop in temperature that makes the moment feel, briefly, like the world has paused.
The moon will slide in front of the sun on Monday, December 14th, casting a shadow across the southern tip of South America. For a narrow band of observers in Chile and Argentina—and for anyone fortunate enough to be on a ship in the right patch of ocean—the day will turn briefly to night. The rest of the world will have to watch from home.
This is the only total solar eclipse of 2020, and it arrives at an odd moment. The pandemic has made travel difficult and gathering in crowds riskier. But NASA has decided to broadcast the event anyway, offering a Spanish-language livestream from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where telescopes at the Observatorio Docente will track the moon's passage across the sun's face. The program begins at 7:30 a.m. Pacific time, with totality expected at 8:02 a.m. The broadcast will run for about an hour.
Time and Date, a timekeeping website, is also stepping in with its own livestream, this one originating from the Villarrica volcano in Chile and starting at 6:30 a.m. Pacific time. Between the two feeds, viewers anywhere with an internet connection will have a front-row seat to the celestial mechanics that have captivated humans for millennia.
The eclipse's path of totality is narrow—a precise corridor where the moon completely blocks the sun's disk. Outside that corridor, observers in a much wider band across South America and parts of the Pacific and Atlantic will see a partial eclipse, as if someone has taken a bite out of the sun. NASA has published maps showing exactly where the eclipse will be visible and to what degree, so anyone curious about whether their location will offer a view can check before the event.
For those who do manage to be in the path of totality, the usual warnings apply. Never look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse. The proper way to observe is through certified solar eclipse glasses or by constructing a simple pinhole projector—a low-tech device that lets you watch the eclipse's shadow on a piece of paper rather than looking up at the sky itself. The stakes are real: staring at the sun can cause permanent eye damage in seconds.
This eclipse comes six months after 2020's "ring of fire" eclipse in June, a different phenomenon where the moon passes in front of the sun but doesn't completely block it, leaving a bright ring visible around the moon's silhouette. That event offered its own spectacle for those in the right place. This December eclipse, by contrast, offers the full drama of totality—the sudden darkness, the appearance of the sun's corona, the temperature drop—for those who can reach South America or get lucky with a boat reservation.
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