Hybrid Solar Eclipse 2023: First Solar Eclipse to occur on this date, will the rare Surya Grahan be visible in India?

Hybrid Solar Eclipse 2023: The first Solar Eclipse of 2023 falls on April 20. Find out whether the rare Hybrid Eclipse will be visible in India inside.

Updated on: Apr 20, 2023, 09:27:25 IST

By Krishna Priya Pallavi, Delhi

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The first Solar Eclipse of 2023 will be witnessed on April 20, Thursday. It will be a rare celestial occurrence as the Solar Eclipse will be hybrid in nature - phasing from Annular Eclipse to a Total Solar Eclipse. A Hybrid Solar Eclipse occurs only a few times in a century. The last Hybrid Solar Eclipse was in 2013 and the next will occur in 2031. In the next century, skywatchers will witness a Hybrid Solar Eclipse on March 23, 2164, says Space.com. The Solar Eclipse happening this month will be the first Eclipse of 2023. Keep scrolling to find out if people in India will be able to witness the Solar Eclipse or not.

The Hybrid Solar Eclipse occurs when an Eclipse shifts from Total to Annular Eclipse because the moon's shadow moves across the earth's surface. (File Photo / Reuters)

(Also Read | Solar Eclipse 2023: When is the rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse? Find out Surya Grahan timings, when and where to watch)

Will the first Solar Eclipse of the year be visible in India?

The first Solar Eclipse of 2023 will not be visible in India. Only parts of South East Asia and Australia will witness the rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse. Meanwhile, the 'ring of fire' will be visible for a few seconds in the Indian and Pacific oceans. A 'ring of fire' occurs when the moon covers only the sun's centre, and its outer edges are visible to form a ring of fire or annulus around the moon. 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). As per the Indian Standard Time (IST), the Solar Eclipse will begin at 7:04 am and end at 12:29 pm.

Eclipse in 2023

There are a total of four Eclipses in 2023. The first Solar Eclipse is on April 20, and the next and the last Solar Eclipse of the year will occur on October 14. The first Lunar Eclipse of 2023 is on May 5-6, and the second will fall on October 28-29.

Hybrid Solar Eclipse explained:

A Solar Eclipse occurs when the moon lines up between the sun and the earth to cast a shadow on the earth's surface. According to NASA, a Hybrid Solar Eclipse happens because the earth's surface is curved. An Eclipse shifts between the Annular and Total phases as the moon's shadow moves across the globe during the Hybrid phase. It is a rare phenomenon - a combination of an Annular Solar Eclipse and a Total Solar Eclipse. During the Hybrid Solar Eclipse, people witness the sun forming a ring shape for a few seconds around the moon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Krishna Pallavi Priya
Krishna Priya Pallavi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience, covering health, fashion, pop culture, travel, wellness, entertainment, festivals, mental health, art, decor, fitness, and sex and relationships. She is an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, and holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. Her strong academic foundation informs her analytical and detail-oriented approach to storytelling, helping her uncover stories where none seem to exist. Before joining Hindustan Times, Pallavi worked with some of India’s leading media organisations. She spent close to three years at India Today, where she honed her newsroom skills and developed a sharp editorial sensibility. She also worked for over a year and a half at Vagabomb, ScoopWhoop’s feminist digital platform, where she explored stories through a gender-sensitive, socially aware lens. Pallavi has a deep interest in global fashion trends and international fashion seasons, and enjoys interviewing celebrities and tracking pop culture movements—interests that frequently translate into engaging, reader-friendly stories. Alongside lifestyle and entertainment, she has a keen eye for impactful health and wellness journalism, regularly interacting with doctors, designers, and digital content creators to bring nuance and credibility to her work. Born and raised in Haryana, Pallavi remains deeply connected to her ancestral roots in Odisha. Her ability to spot fresh angles brings curiosity and depth to stories she pursues. When not chasing deadlines, she enjoys spending time with her dog, planning her next vacation, reading, running new trails, and discovering new destinations.Read More

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