AT the La Silla observatory, in the middle of the so-called ‘Ground Zero’ observation zone, scientists, special guests and astronomy amateurs gather to experience a total solar eclipse in an area of the Earth most prepared to witness and study the event. An estimated 300,000 tourists have flocked to the region where dryness, crystal-clear air and low light pollution have created a stargazers’ paradise. - AFP, July 4, 2019.