First solar eclipse to occur on this date. Will it be visible from India?
2 min read . Updated: 07 Mar 2023, 02:32 PM IST
PremiumThe first solar eclipse will be held in April. Only two solar eclipses will occur in 2023. Know about the date and time of April's solar eclipse
The first solar eclipse of the year 2023 will occur in April. However, the solar eclipse will not be directly visible in India. However, the solar eclipse will be hybrid in nature as it will be a combination of an annular eclipse and a total solar eclipse. After the hybrid solar eclipse, only one more solar eclipse will occur this year on 14 October.
What is hybrid solar eclipse?
A hybrid solar eclipse is a rare type of eclipse which is a combination of an annular eclipse and a total solar eclipse. People who would be able to witness this eclipse will see the Sun forming a ring shape, called as a ‘ring of fire’ for a few seconds. Such kind of eclipse is produced when the moon's shadow moves across Earth, making it a transition to another.
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Normally, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes in between the Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow on Earth's surface.
Solar Eclipse timing and date
The first Solar eclipse of this year will occur on 20 April 2023. People will witness a partial solar eclipse on the day. Next Solar eclipse will occur on 14 October, on Saturday. The second one, will be an annual solar eclipse.
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As per the Indian Standard Time, the Solar eclipse will be held on 20 April 2023 and will begin at 7:04 am and end at 12:29 pm. The rare solar eclipse will be visible from Australia, East and South Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Antarctica, and the Indian Ocean.
Will the first solar eclipse of the year visible in India?
The solar eclipse will not be visible in India but only in parts of South East Asia and Australia. During the hybrid solar eclipse, the 'annual ring of fire' eclipse will be visible for few seconds in the Indian and Pacific oceans but not anywhere on land. On the other hand, a total eclipse will only be visible in three locations on land including Exmouth, Western Australia, Timor Leste and West Papua, according to space.com.
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How to look at Solar Eclipse 2023 safely?
-Watch by projecting Sun's image on a whiteboard by using a Telescope.
-One can also use eye filters like blackc polymer, aluminised Mylar, or welding glass of shade number 14 to observe the Solar eclipse. However, it is not safe to witness the eclipse directly.
-View the solar eclipse by using eclipse glasses.
-Don't use homemade filters or ordinary glasses to view solar eclipse.
