The view will be out of this world.
On Wednesday night – or Thursday in some parts of the world – the moon, sun and Earth will align to create a hybrid solar eclipse.
Two partial solar eclipses preluded this year’s starry spectacular, one in April 2022 and another in October. But this time around is unique – a hybrid solar eclipse is exceptionally rare, only occurring a few times each century.
Other kinds of solar eclipses – total, annular and partial – are more common. The last hybrid solar eclipse was a decade ago.
What is a hybrid solar eclipse?
A hybrid eclipse is when an eclipse transitions “between annular and total as the moon’s shadow moves across the globe” due to the curved nature of our planet, according to NASA.
As it transforms from annular to total and back again during its journey across the sky, people in various geographies will experience the celestial phenomenon differently.
In a total eclipse, the moon covers the sun entirely; in an annular eclipse, the moon is farther away from Earth and therefore appears smaller than the sun; and in a partial eclipse, which is the most common, the Earth, sun and moon do not line up perfectly, forming a crescent-shaped sun.
How to view the April 20 eclipse
Unfortunately for people in the US, the hybrid solar eclipse won’t be viewable. To see the eclipse – with proper eclipse viewing glasses, of course – onlookers must be in Australia and Southeast Asia.
An annular eclipse will be visible in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans, while a partial eclipse will be visible in Australia, Southeast Asia and Antarctica.
But Americans, fret not – NASA, as well as the website Time And Date, will be hosting a livestream of the eclipse, which begins at 9:34 p.m. ET on April 19 and will reach its peak at 12:12 am ET on April 20.
NASA advises in-person viewers to purchase solar viewing glasses, or eclipse glasses, that meet international standards.
Sunglasses are not suitable for viewing solar eclipses, and looking directly into the sun can cause “serious eye injury.”
The space agency also recommends indirect viewing methods such as a pinhole projector, which displays an image of the sun on another surface.
When is the next hybrid solar eclipse?
The next rare eclipse of this kind will not occur until November 2031. After that, a hybrid solar eclipse won’t happen until 2164.
On Oct. 14, a solar eclipse will be visible in North, South and Central America, according to NASA.
Next April, millions of people have the chance to see a dazzling total solar eclipse dubbed the “Great American Eclipse.”
What does this eclipse mean in astrology?
Astrologically speaking, the hybrid solar eclipse signals a time of reform and change.
The eclipse will mark the beginning of the Aries-Libra eclipse cycle, which extends through 2025. In step with Aries’ intensity – after all, it’s a fire sign – the eclipse, which introduces a new moon, signals a time to take risks.
“We’re dealing with some cataclysmic shifts, definitive closings and unexpected inceptions as eclipses are the most powerful impetus for change,” The Post’s astrologer Reda Wigle writes of Thursday’s out-of-this-world display.