On Thursday, April 20, an unusual hybrid solar eclipse will be visible over Southeast Asia and Oceania. Here’s what this event signifies and how to view it.
Next week, viewers in Australia, East Timor, and the eastern Indonesian islands will witness a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle as a rare “hybrid” solar eclipse occurs, with the moon obscuring the sun.
On the 20th of April, those observing the sky in the area will witness an extraordinary occurrence as the moon’s shadow moves across the sun, appearing to conceal it like a coin in a magic trick before sliding away to reveal its blazing radiance.
Timeanddate.com reports that the eclipse will begin at 9:34 p.m. EDT on April 19 (01:34 UTC April 20) and will conclude at 2:59 a.m. EDT (06:59 UTC April 20).
The rare celestial event that will occur on April 20 is referred to as a hybrid solar eclipse, which is a unique blend of a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse. As the moon’s shadow travels across the Earth’s surface, viewers will witness both types of eclipses.
During a total solar eclipse, the moon completely obscures the sun, revealing the delicate, wispy corona for a short period of time that can be safely viewed with the naked eye. Conversely, during an annular solar eclipse, the moon is positioned too far from Earth to fully cover the sun, resulting in a ring of blazing plasma around the moon’s outer rim that can cause eye damage if observed without proper eclipse glasses.
The type of eclipse that viewers will witness, whether total or annular, depends on their location on the curved surface of the Earth with respect to the moon. While the majority of eclipse-watchers will observe an annular solar eclipse, those situated along a narrow path extending from Antarctica to Western Australia will experience a total eclipse.
Furthermore, there are two locations where the eclipse will transition from annular to total and vice versa, but they are situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean. In Australia, the total solar eclipse will be visible only from one inhabited place, which is the small and isolated town of Exmouth. This event is expected to attract crowds of thousands who wish to witness the rare alignment of the sun, moon, and Earth.
The upcoming hybrid solar eclipse holds significance for Indigenous Australians, who used the skies for navigation and saw eclipses as a rare and powerful event, representing the merging of the Moon Man and Sun Woman. However, such eclipses were often regarded as ominous by many communities. For those fortunate enough to view the eclipse in person, it is crucial to wear specialized glasses to avoid damage to the eyes from the sun’s glare. For those unable to witness the event live, it can be watched through a livestream on timeanddate.com. The next hybrid solar eclipse is predicted to occur over North America on November 14, 2031.
