Path of totality: What to know about Tuesday's total solar eclipse

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Wednesday, July 3, 2019
WATCH LIVE: Path of totality, how to watch and what to know about Tuesday's total solar eclipse
ABC's Rob Marciano reports on the total solar eclipse from Chile.

On Tuesday, skywatchers in parts of the Earth got a rare treat: a total solar eclipse.



It was the first total solar eclipse since the Great American Eclipse of 2017, AccuWeather reports.



AccuWeather talks to an eclipse enthusiast about what makes Tuesday's event special.


Where could the July 2, 2019, total solar eclipse be seen?



Unfortunately for eclipse enthusiasts in the U.S., we weren't in the path of this one. The path of totality was mostly across open waters, but tourists packed into the tiny sliver across Chile and Argentina where the total eclipse was visible.



What time was the July 2, 2019, total solar eclipse?



The partial eclipse first reached Chile at 3:22 p.m. ET, and the total eclipse began at 4:38 p.m. ET. The total eclipse lasted a matter of minutes in each location.



What made the July 2, 2019, total solar eclipse special?



Gordon Telepun, an eclipse enthusiast who witnessed a total solar eclipse for the fifth time on Tuesday, said this one is special because he could see it at sunset.



"You know how the moon always looks bigger on the horizon? So an eclipse on the horizon is really going to look dramatic," he said.



When is the next total solar eclipse in the USA?



After the last eclipse, many Americans are wondering when we might be able to catch one again. The next total solar eclipse in the U.S. won't cut all the way across the country like the last one, but it will pass through several states, including Texas, Illinois, New York and Maine. It will make its journey on April 8, 2024.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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