Memory of the Solar Eclipse Above La Silla

On 2 July 2019, ESO’s La Silla Observatory was host to a rare astronomical event, a total solar eclipse. Inaugurated in 1969, La Silla Observatory led ESO to the front line of astronomical science. The 50th anniversary last year celebrated La Silla’s continued contribution to science, and coincided fortuitously with the shadow of the total solar eclipse, or umbra, passing over the site.

Captured in this image is the stunning view of the total solar eclipse, a rare event which lasted for less than two minutes that day. During a total solar eclipse, the Sun and Moon cross paths in the sky, overlapping perfectly, a feat only possible because the Sun and Moon happen to be the right distance from the Earth to take up the same portion of the sky.

A few stars shine bright for a moment while the Sun’s brilliant corona halos the Moon, like shimmering strands of silk. A truly breathtaking experience, one that will not occur again at La Silla until the year 2231.