The intense star Betelgeuse, a distinguished member of the Orion constellation, is ready to be occulted by the asteroid Leona on December 11. This incidence, anticipated to final not more than 10 seconds, will trigger the star to briefly vanish from sight, a phenomenon seen alongside a slim path on Earth.
The fascinating event is anticipated within the night time sky on Tuesday, December 11 at roughly 8:17 p.m. ET (Wednesday, December 12 at 00:17 UT). This uncommon occultation will render Betelgeuse, one of many brightest stars within the sky, invisible or at the very least drastically dimmed for a number of seconds. Betelgeuse, often known as Alpha Orionis, is a significant factor of the Orion constellation, marking the hunter’s crimson proper shoulder.
The trail of totality, the place the occultation can be observable, stretches throughout a slim band beginning close to Guadalajara, Mexico, and extends via south Florida, the Bahamas, southern components of Spain and Italy, via to areas in Greece, Turkey, and central Asia. Lasting for practically 18 minutes, the occultation will begin at 8:08 p.m. ET and finish at 8:26 p.m. ET (December 12 at 01:08:23 UT to 01:26:00 UT).
The occultation is anticipated throughout an exceptionally tight and restricted band, so just a few areas on Earth can be aware about the spectacle. However don’t fret should you don’t stay alongside this path: The Virtual Telescope 2.0 mission, based mostly in southern Italy, will livestream the occasion, which it’s making accessible on the feed under.
This occasion will not be solely a deal with for stargazers but in addition a big alternative for scientists. Betelgeuse, a crimson supergiant roughly 550 light-years from Earth, is known for its measurement, luminosity, and a penchant for confusing astronomers with sudden and unpredictable drops in brightness. Its classification as a semi-regular variable star and its eventual fate as a supernova make it a topic of avid curiosity within the astronomical neighborhood. The upcoming occultation presents a singular probability to watch and perceive the habits and traits of such a large star.
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Astronomers additionally anticipate gaining insights into the outer main-belt asteroid Leona. The occasion will present worthwhile information relating to Leona’s measurement, form, composition, potential environment, and even the presence of any tiny moons. Current observations have already refined our understanding of Leona, revealing its barely elliptical form reasonably than the beforehand assumed spherical type. Present estimates have Leona at being practically 31 miles (50 kilometers) extensive, but it surely might be as massive as 42 miles (68 kilometers) extensive. The upcoming occultation ought to additional tighten these estimates.
A lot of these occultations “are very helpful to constrain the form of the asteroid concerned,” Gianluca Masi, an astronomer on the Digital Telescope 2.0 mission in Italy, defined in an e mail. “Right here, we hope to even examine the floor of the concerned star, too: Betelgeuse. It’s a massive crimson supergiant and whereas Leona will transfer in entrance of it as seen from Earth, we can be hopefully in a position to study extra about its massive convective cells, driving its variable brightness.”
As Masi notes, the occultation might show pivotal in understanding Betelgeuse’s massive convection cells, which affect its brightness and needs to be observable because the asteroid strikes throughout the star’s disk. These cells differ from these on the Solar by their longevity and measurement, probably lasting for years and probably enjoying a key position within the star’s noticed mass loss, Miguel Montargè, an astronomer on the Paris Observatory, instructed Sky & Telescope.
Views of the occultation, significantly if Betelgeuse is bigger than Leona from our viewpoint, might resemble an annular eclipse with the star not absolutely coated. If smaller, a quick interval of “totality” might be noticed. Astronomers advocate that each beginner {and professional} observers use specialised tools and strategies, reminiscent of completely different colour filters and lightweight spectrum evaluation, to seize the occasion’s nuances.
Regardless of enhancements in predictive information, the precise path of Leona’s shadow carries some uncertainty, including a component of shock to this celestial phenomenon. So even should you’re exterior the anticipated path of the eclipse, you would possibly need to take the time to search for on December 11, if merely to understand Betelgeuse and its place within the Orion constellation.
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