On April 20, parts of the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions will experience a rare event called a hybrid solar eclipse.
On April 20, 2023, there will be a rare hybrid solar eclipse. These change from total to null as the Moon’s shadow moves across the Earth; in some places, the Moon completely covers the Sun, while in others, a ring of light is seen around the edge of this satellite.
These eclipses are rare, occurring only a few times a century, and some will be lucky enough to see it in as little as six days.
Hybrid eclipses occur because the Earth is curved, and the shadow of the L a has different regions, particularly a darker central region known as the umbra and a lighter outer part, the penumbra. Hybrid eclipses occur when the Moon is as far from Earth as possible in its elliptical orbit while the umbra still meets the planet’s surface.
Unfortunately, for most of the world, it won’t be observable. However, those who live in Western Australia, East Timor, and the eastern islands of Indonesia will be lucky enough to see one of life’s great spectacles.
The first solar eclipse of 2023 will occur only seven times in the 21st century
According to In the Sky, the eclipse will begin at 9:36 p.m. EDT on April 19 (01:36 GMT April 20) and end at 2:59 EDT (0659 GMT) on April 20. Because the eclipse will be visible first in the Indian Ocean and then in the Pacific, it will already be April 20 during the event.
This will begin as an annular eclipse over the Indian Ocean, transition to a total eclipse phase as it moves over western Australia, and end as an annular eclipse over the South Pacific.
The event will appear as a partial eclipse of many more countries, including the southern territories of France, where 93% of the Sun will be eclipsed; Papua New Guinea, where 87% will be blocked; and the Marshall Islands, where 95% of the Sun will be covered by the Moon, according to In the Sky.
The last such eclipse occurred almost ten years ago, on November 3, 2013. The following hybrid solar eclipse after this month will occur in November 2031 and be visible from parts of the United States. After this, the next time the world will be able to see a hybrid eclipse will be on March 23, 2164.
