A rare hybrid solar eclipse will take place on April 20, 2023. While it won’t be visible to the majority of people, several parts of the globe will have the opportunity to witness an event that only happens once a decade.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow on the planet. A hybrid eclipse, also known as an annular-total eclipse, is a unique event where the eclipse appears as a total eclipse in some areas, and as an annular eclipse in others.
The path of the hybrid solar eclipse will begin in the Southern Ocean and travel up and across the North West Cape of Australia, East Timor, through the eastern portion of the scattered Indonesian islands, and will end in the western Pacific Ocean. It’s in these areas where observers will witness a total eclipse.
“A grand total of around 375,000 Australians, Timorese, and Indonesians live in the path of totality for the April 20 eclipse,” according to EarthSky, using raw population data from the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN).
In the neighboring islands and countries of Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Guam, and Malaysia, a partial eclipse will be visible.
It’s at either end of this path (which are both over oceans) that observers can witness an annular eclipse, where the Moon doesn’t completely block the Sun but instead makes a ring. This is commonly referred to as a “ring of fire,” and occurs due to the curve of the Earth increasing the distance between the Moon and the observer as the event is taking place.
The eclipse will begin at 9:36 pm EDT on April 19 (0136 GMT on April 20) over the Southern Ocean. Here’s when totality will occur over the following countries:
Western Australia at 10:29 EDT on April 19 (0235 GMT on April 20)
East Timor at 11:19 pm EDT (0322 GMT on April 20)
East Indonesia at 11:23 pm EDT (0358 GMT on April 20)
The last hybrid eclipse took place almost a decade ago, on November 3, 2013. The next occurrence is slated for November 2031, which will be visible from the continental United States this time.
As a reminder, please don’t look at an eclipse with the naked eye. It is important to take necessary precautions to prevent irreversible eye damage. Special eclipse glasses are recommended and usually pretty cheap.
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