April 20: Hybrid solar eclipses

This April, we’ll have a chance to see a rare hybrid total/annular eclipse, which is an eclipse that changes its appearance as the Moon’s shadow moves across the Earth. Eclipses of that kind are infrequent: for instance, this century, we’ll only have 7 of them. In most cases, a hybrid eclipse begins as annular, becomes total, and then reverts to annular. Observers from Australia, Indonesia, and East Timor will witness this unique event; the surrounding regions will see a partial solar eclipse.