The first solar eclipse of 2023 falls on April 20. It will sweep through Australia and Southeast Asia. While the solar eclipse will not be visible in India, people in the country can watch the spectacle online. The eclipse will be a rare phenomenon.

It will be a special type of solar eclipse for many reasons. Firstly, it will be a hybrid solar eclipse, which means that it will be a combination of two types of solar eclipses.

The hybrid solar eclipse of April 20, 2023, has been named the Ningaloo Eclipse, after an aboriginal word. The solar eclipse is an extraordinary and rare astronomical event that represents a unique opportunity for Western Australia because on April 20, the Moon will cast its shadow over the tip of Australia in a 40-kilometre-wide-track. The path of totality will pass over one of the most beautiful regions on Earth — the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast, located on Western Australia’s remote coast near Exmouth.

The length of the time during which the Moon covers the Sun completely during a solar eclipse is known as the totality phase.

Since the path of totality will pass over Ningaloo, the eclipse has been named as the Ningaloo Eclipse.