Total Solar Eclipse Path Across Australia April 20, 2023.

On April 20, a total solar eclipse swept over the North West Cape, a remote peninsula of Western Australia. It was also visible from parts of East Timor and the Indonesian province of West Papua.

It kicked off a remarkable run of five total solar eclipses across Australia in the next 15 years.

A Total Solar Eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth approximately every 18 months, making this an infrequent occurrence for Western Australia. This astronomical event marked the first Total Solar Eclipse in WA since June 20, 1974.

What makes this Total Solar Eclipse even more remarkable is that the path will be over some of the more remote parts of Earth. It was estimated that approximately 375,000 people were positioned to see a totality/annularity (100%) Eclipse — that’s about 0.004% of the world’s population.

Perth Total Solar Eclipse Times

The Eclipse began around 10:00 am and lasted for over two hours, with the annularity occurring around 11:30 am in Exmouth. However, according to timeanddate.com, Perth experienced annularity at 11:20 am, approximately 76% of a total eclipse.

Event Local Time

Partial Eclipse began April 20 at 10:04:31 am

Full Eclipse began April 20 at 11:29:48 am

Maximum Eclipse April 20 at 11:30:17 am

Full Eclipse end April 20 at 11:30:46 am

Partial Eclipse end April 20 at 01:02:34 pm

Types of Eclipses

From Earth, we can see two types of eclipses—eclipses of the Sun (solar eclipses) and eclipses of the Moon (lunar eclipses). These occur when the Sun, Earth, and the Moon align straight or almost straight. Astronomers call this a syzygy, from the ancient Greek word syzygia, meaning to be yoked together or conjoined.

The term eclipse also originates in ancient Greek—it comes from the word ékleipsis, meaning to fail or abandon.

Eclipses, solar and lunar, have fascinated scientists and laypeople for centuries. In ancient times, eclipses were considered phenomena to be feared – many cultures came up with stories and myths to explain the temporary darkening of the Sun or the Moon. Scientists and astronomers have followed eclipses to study and examine our natural world in recent centuries.

Solar Eclipses

Solar eclipses can only occur during a New Moon when the Moon moves between Earth and the Sun, and the three celestial bodies form a straight line: Earth–Moon–Sun.

There are between two and five solar eclipses every year.

There are three kinds of solar eclipses: total, partial, and annular. There is also a rare hybrid that combines an annular and a total eclipse.

Total Solar Eclipses

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon completely covers the Sun, as seen from Earth. Totality during such an eclipse can only be seen from a limited area, shaped like a narrow belt, usually about 160 km (100 mi) wide and 16,000 km (10,000 mi) long. Areas outside this track may see a partial eclipse of the Sun.

Looking at a solar eclipse without protective eyewear can severely harm your eyes. The only way to safely watch a solar eclipse is to wear protective glasses or project an image of the eclipsed Sun using a DIY Pinhole Projector.

Partial Solar Eclipses

A partial solar eclipse happens when the Moon only partially covers the disk of the Sun.

Annular Solar Eclipses

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the New Moon covers the Sun’s center, leaving its outer edges to form a “ring of fire” or annulus.

Hybrid Solar Eclipses

A hybrid solar eclipse is a rare form of a solar eclipse, which changes from an annular to a total solar eclipse, and vice versa, along its path.

https://soperth.com.au/perthnews/ningaloo-total-solar-eclipse-87794

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/list-transit.html