the spectacular ring of fire, the penguins and a perfect viewpoint

On October 2, the last solar eclipse of 2024 and it will pass through a small strip of the planet: Pacific, Chile and… Santa Cruz!

Although in other places it will be seen as a partial eclipse, it will only be seen as a ring of fire (annular eclipse) in this province of Argentine Patagonia.

At the same time, there are some strategic points within Santa Cruz so that those who can go to the place can enjoy a unique experience, such as Puerto Deseado and Punta Buque.

150 kilometers from Puerto Deseado, Punta Buque offers the great possibility of seeing the celestial phenomenon with penguinsthrough an observation trip that is being organized especially for the October 2 with an astronomer and an astrotourism guide.

“The last solar eclipse of the year will pass through a very thin strip, forming a spectacular ring of fire in the sky. In Argentina, the inhabitants of Santa Cruz, or those who come to this area, will have the privilege of seeing this eclipse that will last almost 6 minutes depending on the geographic point,” explains Roxana Goronas, professional astronomical tourism guide and naturalist guide.

Roxana clarifies that “in the rest of the country, in many cities it can also be seen, but as a partial solar eclipse.”

“They are mobilizing throughout Santa Cruz so that no one misses seeing this magical apparent encounter between the Moon and the Sun. It doesn’t matter if we reach the center of the shadow or not, it doesn’t matter if where we are it will last 2, 3 or 6 minutes, the important thing is not to miss it,” says Roxana .

And he believes there are many people who will see an eclipse for the first time. “That gives a lot of emotion. The changes in colors and temperatures will make us live a unique and privileged moment,” she says.

Puerto Deseado and Punta Buque will, then, be perfect settings to see this astronomical phenomenon in the northeast of Santa Cruz.

For this reason, Astroturismo Patagonia installed the observation of the night sky in Puerto Deseado and together with the Latin American Institute of Astrotourism they are organizing this unique nature and astronomy outing with the help of professionals and with all the precautions to see it safely.

As the guide Roxana explains, “on October 2 at 4:04 p.m. the magic will begin in the sky and we are preparing to see it. We are organizing a trip from Puerto Deseado to Punta Buque – which borders the Isla Pingüino Interjurisdictional Marine Park – , where we will be able to be very close to the center of the eclipse with a duration of 5 minutes and 27 seconds“.

There you will visit the historic ranch El Amanzo, a wild place where its owners will wait for you with a picnic lunch before starting the trip to the penguin colony and the Punta Medanosa lighthouse, from where you will see the eclipse.

In this way, astronomy will be combined, led by Professor Claudio Martínez, with nature, led by the naturalist and astrotourism guide Roxana Goronas.

Because in addition to observing the eclipse, visitors will go to a colony of Magellanic penguins with almost 10,000 nests, which at that time of year are in full reproduction, with the pairs incubating eggs in the nests.

The end of the eclipse will almost coincide with sunset, which in Patagonia usually surprises with spectacular pink tones.

The Ría Deseado Provincial Reserve will also be the perfect setting for tourists who come to the area to live the experience of seeing this eclipse.

There will be different panoramic points to the west, with specialized guides from where the eclipse will be observed safely, that is, with regulation glasses to see it with the support of the Undersecretariat of Tourism.

Another option is to do cycle tourism and, among canyons, reach the sea and at one point in the reserve observe the eclipse.

And another possibility is in Punta Cascajoa place on the sea four blocks from the center of the town of Puerto Deseado.

This activity organized by the Undersecretariat of Tourism: starting at 1 p.m., gastronomic and artisan stalls will operate, then there will be free guided tours of different places in Puerto Deseado and one of the four local museums.

At 4 p.m. the event will begin with activities in the dark phase, with music and dance, and hot chocolate will be served. And then there will be another event when the moon begins to uncover the sun.

• Seeing the sun with the naked eye can cause serious damage to your eyesight, so eclipses should be viewed safely. The glasses that will be distributed must be kept on throughout the eclipse because the moon does not completely cover the sun and allows its rays to be seen all around.

• X-rays or tinted glass are not safe for viewing eclipses.

• Do not try to see the eclipse with long-view glasses or telescopes without a solar filter.

• Use cameras with solar filters to photograph the sun and eclipses.

• The eclipse itself is not dangerous, what is dangerous is the sun. That is why lunar eclipses can be seen with the naked eye when they happen, but solar eclipses cannot.

• @astroturismopatagonia (Instagram)