Tonight marks the incredibly unusual hybrid solar eclipse 2023! The entire 21st century will only see seven of this kind of eclipse. Perth, Australia will be able to view the eclipse; the eclipse will start around 9:36 p.m. The weather is still forecast to be clear for Perth. EDT, April 19, 2019 (0136 GMT on April 20). A hybrid solar eclipse, which will occur on Thursday, April 20, will see the moon obscure the sun. As the moon’s shadow advances across the Earth’s surface, this sort of eclipse changes from a total solar eclipse to an annular (ring-shaped) eclipse. The following hybrid solar eclise won’t happen until 2031, as the previous one did in 2013. The next time skywatchers can observe the stars is on March 23, 2164. According to In the Sky, the moon’s shadow will pass over western Australia, East Timor, and Indonesia beginning at 9:36 p.m. EDT on April 19 (0136 GMT on April 20) and ending at 2:59 a.m. EDT (0659 GMT) the next day. Only two locations on Earth will see the hybrid eclipse transition from annular to total and then back to annular; unfortunately, both are in remote areas of the ocean. A hybrid solar eclipse 2023 combines an annular and a total solar eclipse, with the former transforming into the latter and then reverting. As a result, observers at various points along the eclipse path may encounter a variety of phenomena. If you watch a hybrid solar eclipse at sunrise or sunset, you might see a brief “ring of fire.” Totality can be seen if you watch it at midday, which is the midpoint of the eclipse’s path across the Earth’s surface. As a result, experiencing both an annular and total solar eclipse during a hybrid event is impossible — you must make a choice. Remember, NEVER look at the sun without adequate protection.