What is the Ningaloo’hybrid’ solar eclipse on April 20 and where can I see it?

On April 20, the Ningaloo hybrid solar eclipse will be visible. Here’s when and where it’ll appear.

The Ningaloo solar eclipse will be best viewed from Exmouth in Western Australia. (Illustrative image) (NASA)

The Ningaloo Eclipse, a ‘hybrid’ solar eclipse, is scheduled for April 20, 2023.

Some viewers around the world will be able to see the eclipse transition from annular to total to annular during the hybrid solar eclipse. The Moon will not completely cover the Sun during an annular eclipse, but it will appear as a smaller dark disc superimposed on the Sun.

A partial eclipse will not be visible to viewers in India, but a livestream of the event will be available from a vantage point in Western Australia. In fact, it’s called the Ningaloo eclipse because it’ll be best seen from Australia’s Ningaloo coast. The eclipse can be seen in the live stream below.

When and where can you see the April 20 eclipse?
According to the Western Australian Government, a total eclipse will only be visible in one town. Exmouth is located on Australia’s west coast.

A partial solar eclipse will be visible in Exmouth for nearly 3 hours, beginning at 3.34 AM IST on April 20 and lasting until 6.32 AM IST. The total eclipse, on the other hand, will last only about a minute, from 4.29 AM IST to 4.30 AM IST.

Of course, these times are only useful if you intend to watch the eclipse live from Exmouth or nearby locations.

A partial eclipse will be visible in Southeast Asia, the East Indies, the Philippines, New Zealand, and other parts of Australia, according to retired NASA astrophysicist and eclipse expert Fred Espenak. Timor-Leste and Indonesia will see an annular eclipse.

What exactly is a total solar eclipse?
During a total solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, completely covering the Sun’s face. When it hits Earth, it will be visible to people in the centre of the Moon’s shadow.

The sky will darken as if it were early morning or late evening during a total solar eclipse. People in the path of the solar eclipse will be able to see the Sun’s corona if the weather conditions are favourable (outer atmosphere). The bright face of the Sun usually obscures this.

What exactly is an annular eclipse?

The Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth during an annular eclipse, but it is too far away from the Earth for a total solar eclipse. As a result, the Moon will appear as a dark disc on top of a bright disc. This will appear as a “ring of fire” surrounding the Moon.

What exactly is a hybrid solar eclipse?

Because the Earth’s surface is curved, an eclipse can sometimes transition from annular to total as the Moon’s shadow moves across the globe. This is referred to as an annular hybrid eclipse. On April 20, viewers in Exmouth will see the eclipse progress from annular to total and back again.