Rare Hybrid Total Solar Eclipse Set to Happen Next Week: Here's What You Need to Know

EarthSky.com announces the first solar eclipse of 2023 that is set to cover Australia, southeast Asia, and the Pacific Ocean region, and people are advised to take note of the date, which will be on Thursday, April 20. It is the first eclipse season of the year and will commence with a unique hybrid annular and total solar eclipse.

Though this eclipse will give observers glimpses of the sunlight's sharp white corona and produce a brief daytime dusk, the numerous minute islands and peninsulas it will cross along the way offer uncharted yet beautiful destinations appealing to nature enthusiasts.

Solar Eclipse Visible Across Swath Of U.S.

(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A total eclipse is seen from South Mike Sedar Park on August 21, 2017, in Casper, Wyoming. Millions of people have flocked to areas of the U.S. that are in the "path of totality" to experience a total solar eclipse.

Why Is It Called a Rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse?

The total solar eclipse on April 20 is bizarre because the Moon's umbral shadow will barely touch the Earth in one part of the path before taking off again on the other side. As Universe Today's report explained, this is called the hybrid portion of the eclipse because it goes from a broken annular to totality and back to annular again.

It will begin at sunrise over the Indian Ocean, and the 49-kilometer wide path will only briefly touch land in three places: The Ningaloo Coast and Exmouth in Australia, near the capital of Dili in East Timor, and a scattering of Indonesian islands, including Kisar, the Schouten Islands, and Western New Guinea. The maximum duration for totality will only be 1 minute and 16 seconds.

These hybrid eclipses are rare, occurring only 3.1% of the time in the 21st century. Annular eclipses are more common than total eclipses and will continue to be so as the Moon recedes from the Earth.

Although the April 20 event is a hybrid eclipse with some true annularity just before sunset, it will only last a brief moment at just over 4 seconds. Eclipse chaser and researcher Michael Zeiler notes that this eclipse will have about 2,920 kilometers of broken annularity.

Paradise Islands Where the Hybrid Eclipse Can Be Seen

Since the hybrid eclipse can only be seen in Southeast Asia and Australia, here is a list of the paradise islands from Forbes that eclipse enthusiasts might want to visit to witness the Moon blocking the Sun in a rare event:

Australia's Montebello Islands and Lowendal Islands

The Montebello Islands Marine Park in Western Australia was previously used for atomic bomb testing in the 1950s and now serves as a location for fishing and water activities like snorkeling and scuba diving.

The nearby Lowendal Islands Nature Reserve offers an alternative location for bird watching during the solar eclipse, with both islands experiencing the eclipsed sun at a 54º angle above the northwest horizon.

Scott and Seringapatam Reefs in the Indian Ocean

Scott Reef is Australia's most extensive oceanic reef system off Western Australia's Kimberley Coast. It consists of a large pear-shaped atoll and a horseshoe-shaped atoll with the neighboring Seringapatam Reef. The reefs are known for game fishing and are popular among spear-fishers. The Sun will be 65 degrees above the northwest horizon on the eclipse day.

Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea

Ashmore Reef, situated in the Indian Ocean/Timor Sea, is an ideal spot to witness birdlife reacting to the eclipse. The reef comprises three islands, but only West Island is open for visitors. Coral Expeditions Coral Adventurer ship carrying 120 eclipse-chasers is expected to capture exciting wildlife activities during the eclipse, with the eclipsed Sun positioned above the northwest horizon.

Cenderawasih Bay National Park in West Papua, Indonesia

Cenderawasih Bay National Park in West Papua, Indonesia, is a popular diving spot with whale sharks and World War II shipwrecks. On April 20, 2023, eclipse-chasers can also witness a solar eclipse, although there is a high chance of cloud cover.

Exmouth in North West Cape, Western Australia

Exmouth, the most populated city in Western Australia that will witness the total solar eclipse, is expected to receive up to 50,000 visitors. The eclipse will last only 60 seconds, and the Sun will be 54º above the northwest horizon.