On Thursday, a rare type of solar eclipse known as a hybrid eclipse will appear in the sky. This is when an eclipse is both a total solar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse at the same time, when normally it is either one or the other. This type of eclipse only makes up approximately 3 percent of the eclipses to occur in the 21st century.
During a total solar eclipse, the moon "covers the body of the sun entirely, leaving only the fiery solar corona visible," while in a partial or annular eclipse, the moon "covers only part of the sun," which is a far more frequent form of the eclipse, Time writes. Whether the viewer will see a total eclipse or a partial eclipse depends on where they are viewing it from. This particular eclipse is traveling across the South Pacific Ocean and those located along its narrow path will see a total eclipse while those around it will see a partial eclipse.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politicsIN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
3 questions to ask when deciding whether to repair or replace your broken appliancethe explainer There may be merit to fixing what you already have, but sometimes buying new is even more cost-effective
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
New York plans first nuclear plant in 36 yearsSpeed Read The plant, to be constructed somewhere in upstate New York, will produce enough energy to power a million homes
-
The treasure trove of platinum on the moonUnder the radar This kind of bounty could lead to commercial exploitation
-
Possible dwarf planet found at edge of solar systemUnder the radar The celestial body has an unusual orbit
-
Why Elon Musk's satellites are 'dropping like flies'Under The Radar Fierce solar activity destroying Starlink satellites
-
Dehorning rhinos sharply cuts poaching, study findsSpeed Read The painless procedure may be an effective way to reduce the widespread poaching of rhinoceroses
-
Why is Nasa facing a crisis?Today's Big Question Trump administration proposes 25% cut to national space agency's budget in 'extinction-level event'
-
Breakthrough gene-editing treatment saves babyspeed read KJ Muldoon was healed from a rare genetic condition
-
Full moon calendar 2025: when is the next full moon?In depth When to see the lunar phenomenon every month
