The astronomical calendar for spring 2023 has appointments as unmissable as planetary conjunctions or the shooting star shower of the Lyrids. However, the leading role is taken by the mixed or hybrid eclipse, a phenomenon so rare that throughout this century it will only be repeated seven times.
Let’s go by parts to understand what a mixed or hybrid eclipse is. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon stands between the Earth and the Sun. Therefore, these eclipses can only take place when the Moon is in a position in the sky close to that of the Sun, specifically in the new moon phase. There are three main types of solar eclipses:
There is a fourth type, the mixed or hybrid eclipse, which is a combination of a total and an annular eclipse, which is why it is also known as annular-total. It occurs when the Moon is farthest from Earth and the satellite stands between our planet and the Sun.
The next hybrid eclipse takes place on Thursday, April 20, 2023, but it will not be observable from Spain. On that day, the solar eclipse will be visible as mixed from Indonesia, Australia, and Papua New Guinea, and as partial from Southeast Asia, Australia, the Philippines, and New Zealand.
This spring, specifically on May 5, there will also be a penumbral lunar eclipse observable from Africa, Asia and Australia. This means that during the path of the Moon’s shadow as it passes over the Earth’s surface, the eclipse will be annular or total depending on where it is observed from.
As pointed out by the National Astronomical Observatory, throughout this century there will be 223 solar eclipses, 68 of them will be total, 72 lunar, 7 mixed (annular/total) and 76 penumbral (partial). Likewise, there will be 230 lunar eclipses, 85 of them total, 58 partial and 87 penumbral.
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