Solar eclipses occur when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, casting its shadow on the Earth.
For it to be total, the sun, moon and earth must be directly aligned.
All of it was only visible in Antarctica, much to the delight of a small group of scientists, experts and adventurers, who paid some 40,000 dollars (around 35,000 euros) for the privilege.
Broadcast live by NASA, the eclipse began at 0700 GMT, when the moon began to move in front of the sun, and ended at 08:06 GMT.
Total solar eclipse of December 4 Valentin RAKOVSKY AFP
The Union Glacier camp, where it was observed, is located approximately 1,000 km (600 miles) north of the South Pole.
Antarctica is immersed at this time of year in permanent light, which peaks on December 21, when the sun does not set.
According to NASA, a partial eclipse was also visible across parts of the southern hemisphere, including parts of Saint Helena, Namibia, Lesotho, South Africa, Chile, New Zealand and Australia.
The last total solar eclipse occurred in Antarctica on November 23, 2003, and the next is not expected until 2039.
Photo taken by Imagen Chile showing scientists and tourists observing the solar eclipse on December 4, 2021, in Antarctica FELIPE TRUEBA Imagen Chile / AFP
An annular solar eclipse - where the moon obscures everything but an outer ring of the sun - is expected to sweep across North America in October 2023, followed by a total eclipse in April 2024.
© 2021 AFP