Rare type of solar eclipse forecast in Southern Hemisphere, here’s how to watch it in US

An extremely rare type of solar eclipse will occur this week, but it won’t be viewable in the U.S. – except over the internet.

This hybrid total eclipse, a type that occurs only a few times per century, will happen starting about 9:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday and be visible from western Australia and the South Pacific, according to The Weather Channel.

The solar eclipse path begins in the Indian Ocean, but won’t cross – or be viewable – in India or the Indian subcontinent, The Weather Channel said.

The hybrid eclipse is special because some will see a total eclipse, while others will see an annular, or “ring of fire,” eclipse. A hybrid eclipse occurs because the Earth’s surface is curved, NASA.com said. The eclipse changes between annular and total as the moon’s shadow moves across the Earth.

Hybrid eclipses account for just 4.8% of all eclipses, according to Space.com. Only seven of them are expected to take place in the 21st century, the site says.

By the way, it’s less than a year before a total solar eclipse will cross the U.S., Mexico, the United States and Canada.

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What time is the solar eclipse this month?

The hybrid solar eclipse viewable in Australia, Timor-Leste and Indonesia (West Papua and Papua), begins about 10 p.m. EDT Wednesday and ends about 2 a.m. EDT Thursday, according to news site EarthSky.

The total eclipse, which will last 1 minute and 16 seconds, will be best seen off the coast of Timor at about 12:15 a.m. EDT Thursday, the site says.