The bright star Betelgeuse, a prominent star in the constellation Orion, is scheduled to be eclipsed by the asteroid Leona on December 11th. This phenomenon is expected to last less than 10 seconds, causing the star to temporarily disappear from view. Visible along a narrow path on Earth.
attractive event is expected to appear in the night sky on Tuesday, December 11th at approximately 8:17 pm ET (0:17 pm ET on Wednesday, December 12th). This rare occultation will make Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in the sky, invisible for a few seconds, or at least significantly fainter. Betelgeuse, also known as Alpha Orionis, is an important component of the constellation Orion and marks the Hunter’s red right shoulder.
The observable total path begins near Guadalajara, Mexico, and extends in a narrow band through southern Florida, the Bahamas, southern Spain, and southern Italy, to areas of Greece, Turkey, and central Asia. . Lasting approximately 18 minutes, the occultation begins at 8:08 PM ET and ends at 8:26 PM ET (December 12 01:08:23 UT to 01:26:00 UT).
The occultation is expected to occur over a very narrow band, so the spectacle will only be visible in a small number of areas on Earth. But don’t worry if you don’t live along this road. virtual telescope 2.0 The project is based in southern Italy. live stream This event is published in the feed below.
This event is not only fun for stargazers, but also an important occasion for scientists. Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star about 550 light-years from Earth, is famous for its size, brightness, and tendency to: Sudden and unpredictable drop in brightness confuses astronomers.Classification as a semi-regular variable star Final fate as a supernova It will be the subject of keen interest in the astronomical community. The upcoming eclipse will provide a unique opportunity to observe and understand the behavior and characteristics of these massive stars.
Related article: Supergiant star Betelgeuse’s mysterious dimming can be explained by dusty burps
Astronomers also Outer main belt asteroid Leona. This event will provide valuable data about Leona’s size, shape, composition, potential atmosphere, and even the presence of small satellites. Recent observations have already refined our understanding of Leona, revealing that it is slightly oval rather than spherical as previously assumed. Current estimates put Leona around 31 miles (50 kilometers) wide, but it could be as wide as 42 miles (68 kilometers). Future occultations should make these estimates even tighter.
Gianluca Masi, an astronomer with Italy’s Virtual Telescope 2.0 project, explained in an email that these types of occultations are “very useful in constraining the shape of the asteroid involved.” “Here, we also want to investigate the surface of the star involved, Betelgeuse. It is a large red supergiant star that drives its variable brightness as Leona moves in front of it as seen from Earth. We expect to learn more about large convective cells.”
As Masi points out, occultations could prove crucial to understanding Betelgeuse’s large convective cell, which influences its brightness and allows the asteroid to outshine its star. It should be visible as it moves across the disk. These cells differ in lifespan and size from those of the Sun, potentially lasting for many years, and could play an important role in the observed star mass loss, said Miguel, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory.・Mr. Montalger said. sky and telescope.
The appearance of the eclipse could be similar to an annular solar eclipse, where the star is not completely obscured, especially if Betelgeuse is larger than Leona from our perspective. If it is small, a short period of “completeness” may be observed. Astronomers recommend that both amateur and professional observers use specialized equipment and techniques, such as various color filters and optical spectrum analysis, to capture the nuances of the event.
Despite improved prediction data, there is some uncertainty in the exact path of Leona’s shadow, adding an element of surprise to this celestial phenomenon. So even if you’re outside of the eclipse’s expected path, you might want to take the time to look up on Dec. 11 to simply admire Betelgeuse and its position in the constellation Orion.
