A rare astronomical event will likely be perfectly positioned within the night sky on Monday (Dec. 11) for some parts of the world.
On that evening, an asteroid will pass in front of the curious red star Betelgeuse, eclipsing it from our vantage point here on Earth and blocking it from view for as much as 15 seconds in an event often known as an occultation. The asteroid is often known as 319 Leona, a fundamental belt object that orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter. Shaped roughly like an egg, 319 Leona measures some 50 by 34 miles (80 x 55 kilometers) in size.
Such an event occurring to a widely known and shiny star is an unusual occurrence. Astronomers are calling the event “a unprecedented and unique opportunity” to check Betelgeuse’s photosphere, the star’s visible layer from which it emits most of its energy.
The occultation will only be visible along a narrow path, nevertheless, that extends from central Mexico eastward across southern Florida. After the trail crosses the Atlantic Ocean, the event will likely be visible from southern Europe and Eurasia. An interactive map of the trail of visibility for the occultation may be found at OccultWatcher.net.
This implies most of us won’t give you the option to see the occultation occur because of where we’re on Earth — luckily, nevertheless, the Virtual Telescope Project in Rome, Italy will host a free livestream of the event starting at 8 p.m. EDT on Monday, Dec. 11 (0100 GMT on Dec. 12).
Related: Odd supergiant star Betelgeuse is brightening up. Is it about to go supernova?
Betelgeuse is one in every of the biggest stars known to astronomers and one in every of the brightest stars within the night sky. It forms the left shoulder of the Orion constellation and is distinctive for its red color.
This star has been the topic of astronomers’ scrutiny in recent times because it has been observed to each brighten and dim dramatically.
Some astronomers think the star could go supernova and explode in our lifetime, while others think Betelgeuse remains to be tens of hundreds to a whole bunch of hundreds of years away from reaching that stage.
Editor’s note: