Hybrid Solar Eclipse Will Occur Today [Watch It Online]

The moon and sun will take part in a rare hybrid solar eclipse on Sunday (November 3). The rare occurrence will be visible to some viewers in North America, and others in the Atlantic Ocean, and Africa.

If you don’t happen to be in an area where the eclipse will be viewable you can can it live online through the Space.com, courtesy of the Slooh community observatory. The hybrid solar eclipse event will be hosted by Slooh worker Paul Cox. He will show lives views of the eclipse from the Kneya countryside in Africa. Other feeds are also expected to be shown from Gabon, Africa, and the Canary Islands off Africa’s western coast.

There will also be a partial solar eclipse viewable from the East Coast of the United States and parts of Canada, as well as southern Europe. In order to see the eclipse you will need clear skies in your area.

You can watch the solar eclipse webcast live on SPACE.com. The last hybrid solar eclipse occurred in April 2005 and the next will not be witnessed until 2023.

In a statement regarding the solar eclipse Cox said:

“This will be the most difficult eclipse we’ve covered at Slooh over the years. Our expedition will be made in a series of 4×4 vehicles carrying our delicate observation equipment across some of the harshest terrain in Africa.” You can also watch the webcast live on Slooh.com and via Slooh’s iPad and iPhone app.”

Cartographer Michael Zeiler of Eclipse-Maps.com created a map which explains the hybrid solar eclipse:

A Quick Lesson In Eclipses: A solar eclipse occurs when the moon travels between the sun and Earth and appears to block the sun. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon and sun align perfectly. A partial solar eclipse occurs when teh moon covers a part of the sun’s disk. An annular eclipse, which occurs annually happens when the moon’s shadow falls short of the Earth’s surface and causes a “ring of fire” effect.

Warning for Viewers: Don’t look directly at the sun during an eclipse, even if it appears to be almost fully covered by the moon.