What is a hybrid solar eclipse? When and where to watch it

Skywatchers are in for a treat as a rare solar eclipse is set to take place on April 20. The celestial event that is about to take place on Thursday is a hybrid solar eclipse that occurs only a few times every one hundred years.

Also known as the Ningaloo Eclipse, the astronomical event is a mix of both a total and a partial solar eclipse.

The rare hybrid solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes in between the Sun and Earth, casting a giant shadow on some parts of the planet blocking sunlight from reaching the surface.

What is a hybrid eclipse?

There are four types of solar eclipses namely partial, total, annular, and hybrid (a combination of two types of eclipse).

A hybrid solar eclipse happens when the moon passes through Earth and the sun, blocking out all or most of the sun's light across a portion of the Earth's surface.

During the hybrid solar eclipse, when the moon passes in front of the sun its size covers the entire solar disk, creating a perfect annular or ring-like shape around the moon's dark silhouette.

Likewise, when the moon's shadow travels along the Earth's surface, it reaches a point where it touches the Earth, resulting in a total eclipse.

But people cannot view both an annular and total eclipse at the same time during the same hybrid event.

For instance, in some places, people will see a total solar eclipse while others will witness a partial lunar eclipse.

Hybrid solar eclipse: Date and Time

The hybrid solar eclipse will start at 7:04 am and will last till 12:29 pm on April 20. Nealy 8.7 per cent of the world's population can witness the celestial event.

The hybrid solar eclipse is visible from the North West Cape, Australia, and parts of East Timor and the Indonesian province of West Papua.