Hello everyone,
Followers of astronomy may be aware that there is a hybrid solar eclipse occurring tomorrow, Thursday April 20. "Hybrid" means this is a total (100%) eclipse along an arc from the Southern Ocean, grazing the mid-west coast of WA, proceeding to the point of maximum eclipse duration in Timor, before reverting to an annular eclipse across a Pacific path. Hybrid eclipses are quite rare, and arise from special projected celestial distance conditions being satisfied.
From an LF/MF perspective it's interesting to note that there'll be a temporary reduction in the ionization levels of the low ionosphere, and the possibility of something like a sunset enhancement effect on signals. VK6MJM will be receiving on 2200 m during the eclipse, with WSPR, FST4W-300 and FST4-1800 decoders. The eclipse will be a maximum (~65%) at Manjimup at 1120 local time, which is 0320 UTC, i.e. in the early hours of Thursday morning in Europe. Some level of eclipse is present between 0200 - 0442 UTC.
There will, of course, be a partial eclipse also visible across other parts of Australia (see
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2023-april-20).
73, Peter.
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