It took me approximately 20-something years to see a shooting star, so often I feel a bit hopeless when it comes to magical, once-in-a-lifetime celestial events. But thanks to technology, I now know I can at least hop on the live stream train.
What’s a rare hybrid eclipse?
Set to occur on Thursday, April 20, 2023, the rare hybrid solar eclipse transitions from a ring-shaped, or annular, eclipse to a total solar eclipse and then back again as the shadow of the moon moves over Earth. Hybrid solar eclipses only occur a few times per century, making this a rare and much-anticipated event.
Where to watch the eclipse
The eclipse will be visible from the South Pacific, with the moon’s shadow moving over Western Australia, East Timor, and Indonesia starting at 9:36 pm EDT on April 19, 2023, and ending at 2:59 am EDT on April 20, 2023.
If you don’t live in the Southern Hemisphere, you can still view the eclipse on several websites—a surefire way to stay put like me while ensuring astonishment. TimeAndDate.com will be live streaming the event on its YouTube channel starting at 9:30 pm EDT on April 19, 2023. The Gravity Discovery Centre & Observatory will host its own live stream starting at 10 pm EDT on the same day, and you can check it out on the center’s YouTube channel.
Mark your calendars for next year’s US eclipse
If your thirst for celestial events needs to be quenched further (and perhaps in person), you might want to start prepping for next year’s total solar eclipse, which will appear in the US on April 8, 2024, when the sun, Earth, and moon will come into complete alignment. Areas in the path of totality include Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas in Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; and Buffalo and Rochester in New York.