A rare solar eclipse will occur in remote areas of Australia, Indonesia and East Timor on Thursday. The lucky few on the path to the hybrid solar eclipse will either plunge into the darkness of the total eclipse or see a “ring of fire” as the sun peeks out from behind the moon. The path of the eclipse will stretch from India to the Pacific Ocean, mostly over water. For those watching the total eclipse, it will take a little over a minute.

Such celestial events occur approximately every ten years: the last time was in 2013 and the next in 2031. They occur when the Earth is at its “best point”, so the Moon and Sun are almost the same size. sky, said NASA solar expert Michael Kirk.

At some points during a total eclipse, the Moon comes a little closer and obscures the Sun. But when the Moon is slightly further away, it allows sunlight to pass through the annular eclipse.

“It’s a crazy phenomenon,” Kirk said. “You’re actually watching the moon grow in the sky.”

Those outside of the eclipse’s path can watch the eclipse from afar: some sites in Australia, including the Perth Observatory and the Gravity Reconnaissance Center and Observatory, will broadcast the event online. It will be easier to catch a few more upcoming solar eclipses. An annular eclipse in mid-October and a total eclipse next April will be visible to millions of people in America.