A rare celestial event will take place this week։ What is a hybrid solar eclipse and how to view it?

A rare celestial event will take place this week – a hybrid solar eclipse that will take place on Thursday, April 20, when the Moon appears between the Earth and the Sun and blocks sunlight from reaching the Earth.

This type of eclipse shifts from total solar eclipse to annular (ring-shaped) as the moon's shadow moves across the surface of the Earth.

As reported by In the Sky, the eclipse will be visible in the southern Pacific Ocean, then the shadow of the Moon will pass over western Australia, East Timor and Indonesia. The eclipse will begin on April 20 at 01:36 GMT (04:36 Yerevan time) and will end on the same day at 06:59 GMT (10:59 Yerevan time).

The solar eclipse will be broadcast live on several YouTube channels, which we present below.

There are only two locations on Earth from which the hybrid eclipse will be seen transitioning from annular to total and then back to annular again; unfortunately, both are found in remote areas of the ocean.

The last hybrid solar eclipse occurred in 2013, and the next will occur in 2031. After that, people will have to wait until March 23, 2164 to see a hybrid solar eclipse.

It should be noted that during an eclipse, you should not look at the Sun with the naked eye, it can cause irreversible damage to your eyesight. There are special glasses, filters, cameras for that.