Hybrid Solar Eclipse On Sunday November 3 2013

A hybrid solar eclipse will be occurring just a couple of days from now, on Sunday, November 3, 2013. While the eclipse will be visible to those on the East Coast of the US, those in Africa and the Middle East will get the best show — with total eclipse being visible to those in parts of the West/Central/East African nations of Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia.

If you’re watching from the Americas, the eclipse will already be in progress as the sunrises, those in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East will experience the eclipse right around mid-day/early afternoon. Since the eclipse will only be visible to those in the Americas shortly after sunrise, you’ll need to find a place with a completely clear view of the eastern horizon in order to watch the eclipse.

Hybrid solar eclipse

When seen from Miami, maximum eclipse will see about 44% of the Sun’s disc covered by the Moon — in Boston maximum eclipse will see around 64% of the Sun’s disc covered. In Africa, the path of totality will move through Central Africa, from west to east, right around mid-day — bringing about a minute of temporary darkness. “The place of maximum eclipse will be a bit south of the Ivory Coast and Ghana, in the Atlantic Ocean, and at that place it will last for a full one minute and 39 seconds.”

Some background — “a hybrid eclipse, also known as a annular/total eclipse, is a relatively rare type of solar eclipse that shifts over its progression between a total and annular eclipse. At some points appearing as a total eclipse and at others as an annular eclipse. So while it’s a somewhat rare event, it isn’t radically different than other solar eclipses.”


For information on the other main astronomical events of the year, see: Astronomy 2013, Comet ISON, Solar Eclipse, Supermoon, Lunar Eclipse, Geminids, Leonids, Super Venus, Etc.

Image Credits: NASA; Eclipse via Flickr CC

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