Rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse Coming Sunday

A rare hybrid solar eclipse is coming on Sunday and could be visible from eastern North America to the Middle East. Sunday’s event will start as an annular eclipse, also called the ring of fire, and end with a total eclipse as the moon’s shadow covers our planet.

Skywatchers in the eastern United States, northeastern South America, southern Europe, the Middle East, and most of Africa, will be able to see a partial solar eclipse, reports NBC News.

However, those along the path of totality in central Africa will be treated to a show as the sun is briefly covered by the Earth’s closest neighbor. The partial eclipse can be seen in eastern North America at sunrise, or around 6:30 am local time. Experts believe that the rare hybrid solar eclipse will last for around 45 minutes.

Residents in Boston and New York will see the sun more than 50 percent eclipsed by the moon, while Miami and Washington, D.C., will see a 47 percent eclipse.

Space.com notes that the eclipse will happen while the sun is less than eight degrees from the east-southeast horizon. Because of this, viewers will have to pick a spot that yields a good view of the horizon without buildings or hills blocking it.

The event’s path of totality will start in the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern United States and run through Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and several other African nations. The path ends in southern Ethiopia and Somalia around sunset.

Sunday’s hybrid solar eclipse will be the last one of the year, which has seen one other solar eclipse and three lunar ones. The first solar eclipse of 2013 happened on May 10.

[Image via ShutterStock]