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Skygazers can catch – or stream – a rare celestial event tonight.
You may have heard of a total solar eclipse or even an annular eclipse. A rare hybrid solar eclipse will take place on Wednesday evening, alternating between a total eclipse and an annular eclipse depending on the observer’s location on the ground.
Hybrid eclipses are rare among solar eclipses, occurring only a few times a century, according to EarthSky. Of 224 solar eclipses in the 21st century, seven will be hybrid. After Wednesday night, the next hybrid solar eclipse will occur in 2031.
- The eclipse begins at 9:36 p.m. Eastern Time.
- It will first be visible in the Indian Ocean and then transition into the Pacific Ocean to offer the best views for those in Western Australia, East Timor and the eastern Indonesian islands.
- The Moon completely covers the Sun in Timor at 12:16 AM Eastern Time for over a minute.
- The hybrid eclipse ends on April 20 at 2:59 p.m. Eastern time.
What is a hybrid solar eclipse?
Hybrid eclipses are a combination of total and annular solar eclipses.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between our planet and the sun and the moon completely obscures the sun. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between our planet and the sun, but the moon is furthest from earth. Because the moon is farther away, it appears smaller than the sun and cannot completely cover the star, leaving a ring of light from the sun.
During a hybrid eclipse, the curvature of the Earth results in a different view of the globe, as the eclipse alternates between a total eclipse and an annular eclipse.
- According to In the Sky, the eclipse begins on April 19 at 9:36 p.m. Eastern Time and ends on April 20 at 2:59 a.m. Eastern Time.
Where can you see the solar eclipse?
The hybrid eclipse will not be visible in the continental United States, but there are various free live streams online.
The moon’s shadow will move across Western Australia, East Timor and Indonesia, alternating from an annular annular eclipse to a total eclipse and then back again. Other countries will experience it as a partial eclipse, with the moon obscuring only part of the sun, including Papua New Guinea, the southern French territories and the Marshall Islands, according to Space.com.
When is the next heavenly event?
US citizens may miss seeing the hybrid eclipse firsthand, but they can look forward to the next total solar eclipse visible from North America, which will sweep the sky from Texas to Maine via Illinois on April 8, 2024.