A rare hybrid solar eclipse appears for the first time in a decade

Hybrid eclipses are rare in eclipses and occur only a few times a century Earthsky. Seven of the 224 solar eclipses in the 21st century will be hybrids. After Wednesday night, the next hybrid eclipse will occur 2031.

• The eclipse will begin at 9:36 PM ET.
• It will be first know Into the Indian Ocean, then into the Pacific Ocean, offering great views of Western Australia, East Timor and the eastern Indonesian islands.
• At 12:16 AM ET in Timor, the Moon will completely cover the Sun for over a minute.
• The mixed eclipse will end on April 20 at 2:59 am EST.

What is a mixed eclipse?

Hybrid eclipses are a combination of total and annular eclipses.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between our planet and the Sun, and the Moon completely covers the Sun. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between our planet and the Sun, but the Moon is at its furthest from Earth. Since the Moon is still far 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 around the world, the eclipse alternates between a total eclipse and an annular eclipse, According to NASA.

• The eclipse will begin at 9:36 PM ET on April 19th and end at 2:59 AM ET on April 20th. in the sky.

Where to watch the eclipse?

Hybrid eclipses are not 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, changing from an annular annular eclipse to a total eclipse and repeating. Several countries will experience a partial eclipse with the moon covering part of the sun, including Papua New Guinea, the French Southern Territories and the Marshall Islands. Space.com.

When is the next celestial event?

US residents may miss seeing the hybrid eclipse in person, but they can look forward to the next total eclipse visible from North America on April 8, 2024, stretching across the sky from Texas to Illinois to Maine.