Solar Eclipse 2023: The first solar eclipse of 2023 falls on April 20, and will be a hybrid solar eclipse. The solar eclipse will sweep only through Australia and some nations of Southeast Asia. While the hybrid solar eclipse will not be visible in India, people in the country can watch the rare spectacle online.
The first solar eclipse of the year is special and rare because it will be a combination of two types of solar eclipses.
The hybrid solar eclipse has been named the Ningaloo Eclipse, after an aboriginal word.
The solar eclipse is an extraordinary and rare astronomical event that represents a unique opportunity for Western Australia because on April 20, the Moon will cast its shadow over the tip of Australia in a 40-kilometre-wide-track. The path of totality will pass over one of the most beautiful regions on Earth — the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast, located on Western Australia's remote coast near Exmouth.
The length of the time during which the Moon covers the Sun completely during a solar eclipse is known as the totality phase.
Since the path of totality will pass over Ningaloo, the eclipse has been named as the Ningaloo Eclipse.
A hybrid solar eclipse is also known as an annular-total eclipse, because it can change from an annular to a total eclipse, or from a total to an annular eclipse, along the observer's parth. When the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth, and casts the darkest part of its shadow, called the umbra, on Earth, it is called a total solar eclipse. When the edge of the Sun remains visible as a bright ring around the Moon during an eclipse, it is called an annular solar eclipse.
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When and how to watch the first solar eclipse of 2023
People living in the countries where the solar eclipse will not be visible can watch the astronomical event online. They can enjoy the spectacle on the official YouTube channel of timeanddate.com. The event will be streamed live in collaboration with Perth Observatory, Australia.
One can also use a detailed eclipse path map to know where they fall on the map.
Timings for different phases of the eclipse
The partial phase of the eclipse will begin April 20 at around 7:04 pm IST. The total phase of the eclipse will start at around 8:07 pm IST.
The total phase will reach its maximum point, or the time at which the Moon's disk completely covers the Sun's bright face, at around 9:46 pm IST.
The total phase of the eclipse will end at around 11:26 pm IST on April 20, and the partial eclipse will end at around 12:29 am IST on April 21.
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It is a one-in-10-years-eclipse
The narrow path of totality will stretch from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific.
The curvature of the Earth increases the distance between the Moon and all observers at either end of the narrow path of totality. To those observers, the Moon will appear too small to cover the Sun completely. Therefore, the eclipse will appear to be annular to those observers. In other words, the Sun will appear to form a ring around the Moon.
Since some regions will witness a total solar eclipse while some will see an annular eclipse, the solar eclipse is hybrid, which is a slightly rare phenomenon.
The last hybrid solar eclipse occurred in November 2013, and the next one will occur in November 2031. This makes the solar eclipse a one-in-10-years eclipse.
The path of totality, at the point where it meets Australia, is 40 kilometres wide.