The Only Total Solar Eclipse of 2021 Falls Over Antarctica in December



In early December, the only total solar eclipse of 2021 and the last one until 2023 will darken the sky. It's one of the biggest celestial events of the year, but few people will see it because the eclipse's path of totality falls on a narrow strip in Antarctica. Fortunately for sky-gazers, the partial eclipse will be visible in more populated areas. The next total solar eclipse — and the last one for nearly a year and a half — will occur on Saturday, December 4, 2021. The Earth has seen partial solar eclipses as recently as June, but this one will be different. For a brief window, the moon will fully block out the sun when the bodies cross paths in the sky, casting a shadow over the planet and revealing the sun's corona — the outermost part of its atmosphere. To see the year's only total solar eclipse, you can take advantage of a popular tourist track that includes the Antarctic Peninsula, Union Glacier, and the Weddell Sea. Several tour companies have organized cruises that will follow the eclipse across the edge of the continent. If you can't make it all the way to Antarctica, the partial eclipse will be visible in more accessible parts of the world. People in the southern tips of Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and South America can step outside on December 4 to see the spectacle above their heads.