How to watch the ‘rare’ hybrid solar eclipse in April 2023

lifestyle

by Brook Cato

April 19, 2023 | 2:50 in the afternoon

The view will be out of this world.

On Wednesday night – or Thursday in some parts of the world – the Moon, Sun and Earth will align to create a hybrid solar eclipse.

There have been two partial stargazing solar eclipses this year, one in April 2022 and one in October. But this time is unique – hybrid solar eclipses are extremely rare, only occurring a few times per century.

Other types of solar eclipses—total, annular, and partial—are more common. The last hybrid solar eclipse It was a decade ago.

What is a hybrid solar eclipse?

Hybrid eclipses occur when the eclipse shifts “between the annular and total as the moon’s shadow moves across the globe” due to the curved nature of our planet, According to NASA.

Because it turns from annular to total and back again as it travels across the sky, people in different geographic regions will experience the celestial phenomenon differently.

In a total eclipse, the moon completely covers the sun; In an annular eclipse, the Moon is farther from the Earth and thus appears smaller than the Sun; And in partial eclipses, which are the most common, the Earth, Sun and Moon do not line up perfectly, forming a crescent-shaped sun.

How to watch the eclipse on April 20

Unfortunately for people in the United States, the hybrid solar eclipse will not be visible. to see the eclipse — with proper eclipse-viewing glasses, of course — spectators have to be in Australia and Southeast Asia.

The annular eclipse will be visible in both the Pacific and Indian oceans, while the partial eclipse will be visible in Australia, Southeast Asia and Antarctica.

But Americans, don’t fret – NASAas well as the site time and datewill host a live stream of the eclipse, which will begin at 9:34 PM ET on April 19 and culminate at 12:12 AM ET on April 20.

NASA advises Viewers in person to buy solar vision glasses or eclipse glasses that meet international standards.

Sunglasses are not suitable for viewing a solar eclipse, and looking directly at the sun can result in “serious eye injury”.

The space agency also recommends indirect viewing methods such as the pinhole projector, which projects an image of the sun onto another surface.

When is the next hybrid solar eclipse?

the The next rare eclipse of this kind It won’t happen until November 2031. After that, a hybrid solar eclipse won’t happen until 2164.

On October 14, a solar eclipse will be visible in North, South and Central America, According to NASA.

Next April, millions of people will have the opportunity to witness an amazing total solar eclipse dubbed “The Great American Eclipse. “

What does this eclipse mean in astrology?

In astrological terms, a hybrid solar eclipse marks a time of reform and change.

The eclipse will mark the beginning of the Aries-Libra eclipse cycle, which runs through 2025. In keeping with the intensity of Aries—after all, it’s a fire sign—the eclipse, which introduces a new moon, It indicates when to take risks.

“We’re dealing with some catastrophic transitions, eventual shutdowns, and unexpected perceptions because eclipses are the most powerful trigger for change,” The Post astrologer Reza Weigel wrote of the out-of-this-world show on Thursday.