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.
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The next hybrid solar eclipse will occur on Nov. 14, 2031, over North America. But the next total solar eclipse over North America will take place on April 8, 2024.
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