Thousands of people flocked to the Chilean region of La Araucania to witness the rare experience of a total solar eclipse, and bad weather did little to dampen their excitement.

Although visibility is limited due to clear skies, large crowds – masked to limit diffusion Covid-19 – The moon can be seen as black from the sun, and the day falls into darkness.

When the sun was completely covered by the moon, many jumped and screamed in the rain, followed by moments of silence and then more cries and joy as the sun reappeared.

Diego Fuentes, who traveled with his family to watch the eclipse, said: “Two minutes is worth it.”

Another spectator, Catalina Morales, said she liked it so much: “It’s good to have clouds because we can see a little bit without glasses.”

Her father, Christian, described it as a “wonderful, unique experience.”

In a short period of darkness, the only light from people’s mobile phones.

There were some similar views in other Latin American countries Argentina, In some African countries and parts of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

But the best pictures came from Chile, and the next total solar eclipse will not come for 28 years.

Indigenous Mapuche people from La Araucania have traditionally believed that a total eclipse signifies the temporary death of the sun after a war with the moon – followed by a series of negative events.

Diego Anglao, a member of the Mapuche community and head of a local foundation that promotes development, commented on the civil unrest following an eclipse in July 2019. Chile Then COVID-19 pandemic.