On Monday, August 21, 2017 many will be able to witness a wonderful phenomenon, people in the United States will get to see a Total Eclipse of the Sun, while in Costa Rica it will be seen as a Partial Eclipse.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth and blocks the sun totally or partially; in a total eclipse the sun’s outer atmosphere (the corona) becomes visible, the skies are darken for a few minutes while the moon continues its orbit.

This time the country that is within this path is the United States, and therefore the phenomenon will be visible from different areas of the country (from South Carolina to Oregon), for a full 2 minutes and 40 seconds.

The last time Costa Ricans were able to witness a Total Eclipse of the Sun was back in 1991. This experience lives in the memories of many ticos, who will not be able to see another Total Eclipse until 2233 scientists estimate.

Experts recommend not looking at the eclipse directly since it could cause damage to your eye sight, filters are necessary and they must be ISO 12312-2 certified. Homemade filters, or regular sunglasses are not safe for looking at the sun. The use of unfiltered cameras, telescopes or binoculars do not protect your eyes, you must always use an adequate filter.

The San José Planetarium in the City of Investigation of the University of Costa Rica is already planning activities, with a conference at 11 a.m. on August 21 and the live streaming of the event from the United States at noon, while in Costa Rica the partial eclipse is also taking place. For those interested and want to reserve a space you can call 2511-2580.