Abstract
The annular solar eclipse of October 14, 2023, was visible in North America and parts of Central and South America. In Colombia, the eclipse was seen in the annular and partial phases throughout the country. The annular zone crossed the departments of Chocó, Quindío, Tolima, Huila, Meta, Guaviare, Vaupés, Caquetá, and Amazonas from west to east. This study aimed to analyze the possible attenuation of gravity during the eclipse using high-precision gravimetric measurements taken in Aipe (Huila) between 3:05 UTC-05 on October 13 and 11:31 UTC-05 on October 15, 2023, with a CG-5 gravimeter. To support the interpretation, we reviewed previous works that propose mechanisms such as gravitational scattering or absorption and theoretical models that predict specific patterns in the gravimetric signal during eclipses. Although the variations detected were subtle, decreases in gravity were recorded coinciding with critical phases of the eclipse, especially before the first contact and after the last one. These variations align with models such as those of Múnera (2011) and Heriyanto (2022), as well as previous studies developed in China and Europe, and provide, beyond absolute values, consistent evidence of a possible gravitational attenuation effect associated with eclipse geometry.
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