Australia

Hybrid solar eclipse 2023: A hybrid solar eclipse will happen next month. It will take place on April 20, astronomers are calling it Ningaloo solar eclipse. While it will not be visible to viewers in India, it can be seen through live streams of the event taken from Western Australia.

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The solar eclipse will be hybrid in nature as it will be a combination of an annular eclipse and a total solar eclipse. After the occurrence of the hybrid solar eclipse, only one more solar eclipse will be visible this year, on October 14. During an annular eclipse, the Moon will not fully cover the Sun and as a result, it will appear as a dark disk superimposed on the bright Sun. 

What is a hybrid solar eclipse?

A hybrid solar eclipse is a unique type of eclipse which is a combination of an annular eclipse and a total solar eclipse. People will be able to see the Sun in a ring shape and only for a few seconds. This shape of the sun is called a ‘ring of fire’ and such kind of eclipse is produced when the moon’s shadow moves across Earth, making it a transition to another. 

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Normally, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes in between the Earth and the Sun, forming a shadow on Earth’s surface. This hybrid solar eclipse will be occurring after 2013 and will be the last one until 2031. 

Hybrid Solar Eclipse: Time and date

The first solar eclipse of this year will occur on 20 April 2023. People will witness a partial solar eclipse on the day. The next Solar eclipse of the year will occur on October 14. The second one will be an annual solar eclipse. 

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As per the Indian Standard Time (IST), the solar eclipse can be seen at 7:04 am and end at 12:29 pm. The rare solar eclipse will be visible from Australia, East and South Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Antarctica, and the Indian Ocean. 

Where can I watch the hybrid solar eclipse?

The solar eclipse will not be visible in India but only in parts of South East Asia and Australia. During the hybrid solar eclipse, the 'annual ring of fire' eclipse will be visible for a few seconds in the Indian and Pacific oceans but not anywhere on land. On the other hand, a total eclipse will only be visible in three locations on land including Exmouth, Western Australia, Timor Leste and West Papua, according to space.com.

How to look at a hybrid solar eclipse carefully?

Watch by projecting Sun’s image on a whiteboard by using a Telescope. One can use eye filters like black polymer, aluminized Mylar, or welding glass of shade number 14 to observe the solar eclipse. It is not safe to witness the eclipse directly. 

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