Rare solar eclipse to dazzle till 12.29 pm: When and how to watch

There are four types of solar eclipses - total, annular, partial and hybrid.

While these astronomical events are considered rare, a hybrid solar eclipse is the rarest of them all. Another hybrid solar eclipse after April 20 is expected in 2031, the last predicted occurrence for 133 years. A hybrid solar eclipse is essentially a combination of an annular and a total eclipse. In this rare phenomenon, an eclipse shifts between annular and total as the Moon’s shadow moves across the planet.

An annular solar eclipse is one of the most impressive celestial events. In an annular solar eclipse, the moon blocks out the centre of the sun and leaves a circle of light from the sun visible from within a shadow. This dazzling circle of light looks like a ring of fire.