Astrophiles residing in Hyderabad are wondering whether the solar eclipse, one of the celestial events of 2023, will be visible from the city and, if so, what the timing will be.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the solar eclipse will be visible to people in the Western Hemisphere. It will be visible from North, Central, and South America and will be witnessed in parts of the United States, Mexico, and many countries in South and Central America.

Hyderabad will not witness solar eclipse

The solar eclipse will neither be visible in Hyderabad nor in any other parts of India. Though it will not be visible in India, the solar eclipse will occur tonight between 11:29 pm and 11:34 pm IST. Today’s celestial event is an annular solar eclipse, wherein the Moon will be at or near its farthest point from Earth. As the Moon will be far from Earth, it will not cover the Sun completely, leaving the outer edges visible like a ring. Though the people of Hyderabad will not be able to witness the solar eclipse, they will be able to see the lunar eclipse on October 28.

Solar vs lunar eclipse

Lunar eclipses, like solar eclipses, occur due to the rotation of the Earth around the Sun and the Moon around the Earth. Due to this rotation, at some point, the Sun, Moon, and Earth come into a linear configuration. Because of this, either the Sun or the Moon becomes invisible from the Earth. In a solar eclipse, the Sun becomes invisible because its rays will not reach the Earth, as they will be blocked by the Moon. In contrast, in a lunar eclipse, Sun rays will not reach the Moon, as they will be blocked by the Earth. Though many people are going to miss today’s solar eclipse, on October 28, various cities including Hyderabad will see the lunar eclipse.