The rarest form of solar eclipse is set to happen in just one day—what is known as a hybrid solar eclipse will begin in the evening of April 19 Eastern Time.
It will be visible only in certain parts of the world; those in North America won’t witness it in person, though there are opportunities to catch the ultra-rare eclipse on livestream.
Hybrid eclipses only happen a few times every century, so watching this one is a rare opportunity (see below for more on the four types of eclipses).
A total solar eclipse at the moment of totality in 2017. (Michelle Holihan/Shutterstock)
The Hybrid Solar Eclipse Path
The hybrid eclipse will be visible along a narrow path. Beginning as an annular eclipse far south in the Indian Ocean, at 10:37 p.m. EST (2:37 a.m. UTC), the hybrid eclipse path will cross Western Australia (where it will be visible from Perth), Timor-Leste, and Indonesia (West Papua and Papua). Then it will become a total eclipse and reach its period of maximum eclipse at 12:16 a.m. EST (4:16 a.m. UTC), before becoming an annular eclipse again and ending near the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean at 2:59 a.m. EST (6:59 a.m. UTC). The entire hybrid eclipse will last 199 minutes from start to finish….