Hybrid Solar Eclipse 2023: Will The 1st Solar Eclipse Be visible in India?

The first Solar Eclipse of 2023 falls tomorrow (on 20th April). There will be a total of 4 Eclipses in 2023, including 2 Solar Eclipses and 2 Lunar Eclipses.

The first Solar Eclipse of 2023 will occur on April 20, Thursday. This will be a rare celestial occurrence. It will be a Hybrid Solar Eclipse, which transitions from an Annular Eclipse to a Total Solar Eclipse. 

Hybrid Solar Eclipses are a kind of rare phenomenon that only occur a few times in a century. The last Hybrid Solar Eclipse appeared in 2013, and the next one will occur in 2031.

What Is A Hybrid Solar Eclipse?

A Solar Eclipse appears when the moon lines up between the sun and the earth and casts a shadow on the earth’s surface. Hybrid Solar Eclipses used to occur due to the curvature of the earth’s surface. 

During the Hybrid phase, the Eclipse shifts from the Annular to the Total phase as the moon’s shadow moves across the earth’s surface. 

This combination of an Annular and a Total Solar Eclipse results in a rare phenomenon. People can witness the sun forming a ring shape for a few seconds around the moon during the Hybrid Solar Eclipse.

There will be a total of four Eclipses in 2023, including two Solar Eclipses and two Lunar Eclipses. The first Solar Eclipse will occur on April 20. 

On the other hand, the last Solar Eclipse will take place on October 14. The first Lunar Eclipse will happen on 5th to 6th May, and the second will take place on 28th to 29th October this year.

Will the first Solar Eclipse be visible in India?

Unfortunately, the first Solar Eclipse of 2023 will not be visible in India. Only some parts of South East Asia and Australia will witness the rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse. 

Although the ‘ring of fire’ will be visible for only a few seconds in the Indian ocean and Pacific ocean. 

A ‘ring of fire’ occurs when the moon covers only the sun’s center, and its outer edges are visible to form a ring of fire or annulus around the moon.

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These two locations will also witness the Eclipse transition from Annular to Total before transitioning back to Annular.

Additionally, a Total Eclipse will only be visible in three locations on land, including Exmouth (Western Australia), Timor Leste, and West Papua (Indonesia). The Solar Eclipse will start at 7:04 am and it will end at 12:29 pm, as per the Indian Standard Time (IST).