✦ Today's cosmos

Andes Sunset Eclipse

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day · July 15, 2010
Andes Sunset Eclipse
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Image credit & copyright: Janne Pyykkö · via NASA APOD
◆ What you're looking at
On July 11, after a long trek eastward across the southern Pacific Ocean, the Moon's shadow reached landfall in South America. In a total solar eclipse close to sunset, silhouetted Moon and Sun hugged the western horizon, seen here above the Andes mountains near the continent's southern tip. To enjoy a good vantage point, the photographer hiked to a windy spot about 400 meters above a lake, Lago Argentino, climbing into the picture after setting up his camera on a tripod. At left, the sky outside the shadow cone is still bright. Below, the lights of El Calafate, Patagonia, Argentina, shine by the lake shore.