Hybrid Solar Eclipse coming! Know date, time, place to watch

A rare sight of hybrid solar eclipse is in store for skywatchers and it will be visible from several places on the globe. Know, date, time, place, other details here.

Here is all you need to know about the hybrid solar eclipse. Its date is April 20, 2023. (Reuters)

The first solar eclipse of the year 2023 is almost here. But this will not be a partial or total solar eclipse. Yes, on April 20, 2023, parts of Pacific and Indian Ocean regions will witness a rare hybrid solar eclipse. It can be known that a solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, the Moon, and Earth line up, either fully or partially. Depending on how they align, eclipses provide a unique, exciting view of either the Sun or the Moon. "A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth that either fully or partially blocks the Sun's light in some areas," NASA said.

Wondering how a hybrid solar eclipse occurs? Because Earth's surface is curved, sometimes an eclipse can shift between annular and total as the Moon's shadow moves across the globe. This is called a hybrid solar eclipse. Apart from the hybrid solar eclipse happening on April 20, the year will also see an annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023, while a total solar eclipse will happen on April 8, 2024. Meanwhile here is all you need to know about the hybrid solar eclipse of April 20, 2023:

Hybrid Solar Eclipse 2023: Date and Time

According to the information provided by In-The-Sky.org, the hybrid solar eclipse will occur on April 20 from 07:06 IST (01:36 UTC) to 12:29 IST (06:59 UTC).

Hybrid Solar Eclipse 2023: Who can watch it

The hybrid total/annular eclipse will be visible from western Australia, East Timor and eastern Indonesia, according to the report by In-The-Sky.org. "The Moon will pass in front of the Sun, creating a hybrid total/annular solar eclipse visible from western Australia, East Timor and eastern Indonesia between 07:06 and 12:29 IST," it said. The eclipse will not be visible from India and the US.

According to a report by Space.com, some skywatchers in the above-mentioned regions will be treated to a total solar eclipse, whereas others will see a "ring of fire" annular eclipse. Still others will witness a partial solar eclipse, with the moon taking a bite out of a portion of the sun.

"This hybrid eclipse will appear as a total or annular solar eclipse when viewed from Western Australia from 10:29 p.m. to 10:35 p.m. EDT on April 19 (0229 to 0235 GMT on April 20), in East Timor from 11:19 p.m. to 11:22 p.m. EDT (0319 to 0322 GMT) and in Indonesia from 11:23 p.m. to 11:58 p.m. EDT (0323 to 0358 GMT)," Space.com stated.

The celestial event will appear as a partial eclipse from many more countries, including the French Southern Territories, Papua New Guinea, and the Marshall Islands, according to In-The-Sky.org.