A hybrid eclipse of the Sun occurred on Thursday 20 April, 2023 UT, lasting from 01:34–06:59 UT. The Sun was darkened for 1 minute and 16 seconds by a dramatic hybrid eclipse covering a narrow path at most 49 km wide. This was a sight worth seeing, and was visible in extreme north-western Australia, East Timor, and Indonesia. The partial eclipse was visible across Australia and southeast Asia.
The timings of the phases of the overall eclipse
worldwide are as follows. In any particular
place it would have been seen for a significantly shorter
duration as the shadow moved across the Earth:
| Partial eclipse began: |
01:34:16 UT |
| Central eclipse began: |
02:36:56 UT |
| Maximum eclipse: |
04:16:37 UT |
| Central eclipse ended: |
05:56:35 UT |
| Partial eclipse ended: |
06:59:13 UT |
During this eclipse the Sun was 0.531° in apparent
diameter, 0.4% smaller than average. The Moon was just 4 days past perigee, making it relatively large.
At the start and end of the eclipse, the Moon was
0.530°, which is smaller than the Sun;
hence the eclipse was annular at that point.
However, at maximum eclipse the Moon was
0.538° in apparent diameter, which is
1.3% larger than average, large enough to cover the Sun; and so a
total eclipse was seen at that point. Thus
this was a hybrid eclipse.
The statistics page has information on the ranges of the sizes of
the Sun and Moon, and the Moon data page displays detailed
information on the Moon's key dates.
Australia
The hybrid eclipse starts as an annular eclipse in the Indian Ocean west of Kerguelen, which will see a partial eclipse covering 92% of the Sun peaking at 02:38 UT. The eclipse path moves north-east, with the central eclipse soon becoming total; it reaches Australia at the North West Cape at 03:28 UT, with total eclipse lasting just over a minute on the centreline. Exmouth will see a total eclipse at 03:30 UT, but lasting only 55 seconds, as it is somewhat north of the centreline.
The eclipse then crosses the Muiron islands and Serrurier Island; the area around Bessieres Island will see both this eclipse and the total eclipse of December 2038. The track reaches Barrow Island at 03:34 UT, at which point the central duration will be up to 1 minute 5 seconds; all of Barrow Island will see a dramatic total eclipse.
East Timor, Indonesia
The eclipse passes over the eastern end of East Timor starting around 04:18 UT; here the total eclipse will last 1 minute 16 seconds on the centreline. Viqueque will see a spectacular total eclipse, as will Lospalos at 04:21 UT. The eclipse leaves East Timor and passes over Kisar at 04:23 UT, then Maopora, Damar Island, and the Watubela archipelago at 04:40 UT. It reaches West Papua at around 04:45 UT, then Biak Island at 04:57 UT. Ater this the eclipse moves off into the Pacific, and terminates over the ocean.
Interactive Map
This map shows the visibility of the eclipse. The area shaded blue
saw a total eclipse, and the areas shaded red saw an annular
eclipse; however, near the edges of each area, the eclipse was very
short. The bold line shows the centre of the path, where the eclipse
lasted longest.
Use the zoom controls to zoom in and out; hover your mouse over any
point on the centreline to see the time and
duration of the eclipse at that point. You can pan and zoom the map to
see detail for any part of the eclipse path.
The interactive map is currently not available.
Overview Map
This map sourced from NASA Goddard Space flight Center: GSFC Eclipse Web SiteGSFC Eclipse Web Site
The primary source of all the information on eclipses presented here at Hermit Eclipse. (NASA Goddard Space flight Center)
shows the visibility of the hybrid solar eclipse. It also shows the broader area in which a partial eclipse was seen. (Click on it for the
full-sized version.)
Eclipse Season and Saros Series
This eclipse season contains 2 eclipses:
This was the 52nd eclipse in solar Saros series 129.The surrounding eclipses in this Saros series are:
This Saros series, solar Saros series 129,
is linked to lunar Saros series 122. The
nearest partner eclipses in that series are:
Eclipse Parameters
| UT Date/time (max) | 04:16:43 on 20 Apr UT |
TDT Date/time (max) | 04:17:56 on 20 Apr TDT |
| Saros Series | 129 |
Number in Series | 52 |
| Penumbral Magnitiude | |
Central Magnitiude | 1.0132 |
| Gamma | -0.3952 |
Path Width (km) | 49 |
| Delta T | 1m13s |
Error | ± 0m07s (95%) |
| Penumbral Duration | |
Partial Duration | |
| Total Duration | 1m16s |
| |
| Partial Rating | major |
Total Rating | travel |
| Sun Distance | 150266684 km (65.6%) |
Moon Distance | 375916 km (38.8%) |
| Sun Diameter | 0.531° |
Moon Diameter | 0.530° - 0.538° |
| Perigee | 02:23 on 16 Apr UT |
Apogee | 06:44 on 28 Apr UT |
| Contact p1 | 01:34:16 on 20 Apr UT |
Contact p2 | |
| Contact u1 | 02:36:56 on 20 Apr UT |
Contact u2 | 02:37:03 on 20 Apr UT |
| Max eclipse | 04:16:37 on 20 Apr UT |
| Contact u3 | 05:56:23 on 20 Apr UT |
Contact u4 | 05:56:35 on 20 Apr UT |
| Contact p3 | |
Contact p4 | 06:59:13 on 20 Apr UT |
Note that while all dates and times on this site (except
where noted) are in UT, which is within a second of civil time,
the dates and times shown in NASA's eclipse listingsGSFC Eclipse Web Site
The primary source of all the information on eclipses presented here at Hermit Eclipse. (NASA Goddard Space flight Center)
are in the TDT timescale.
The Sun and Moon distances are shown in km, and as a
percentage of their minimum - maximum distances; hence 0%
is the closest possible (Earth's perihelion, or the
Moon's closest possible perigee) and 100% is
the farthest (aphelion, the farthest apogee).
The statistics page has information on the ranges of sizes
of the Sun and Moon, and the Moon data page displays detailed
information on the Moon's key dates.
Data last updated: 2015-09-17 04:54:30 UTC.
