SPACE — Sky watchers can witness a very rare space phenomenon. One of the brightest stars in the night sky will disappear for 7 seconds.
Stargazers will have a ‘once in a lifetime’ chance to see this rare event. To be able to observe this rare phenomenon, you have to wake up at certain times and be in a certain location. If during those 7 seconds you blink, maybe you will miss this opportunity.
What star is going to disappear?
An asteroid known as 319 Leona will pass in front of the star Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse is famous for its bright red color and unpredictable behavior.
The star will be covered by the asteroid for 7 seconds so it will disappear briefly, before suddenly appearing again.
This event will occur shortly after 01.00 UTC, or 08.00 WIB on Tuesday (12 December). Whether you will see it or not depends on where you are in the world.
Astrophysicist Miguel Montargès at the Paris Observatory described this ‘extraordinary’ event as a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’.
The event will only be visible along the occultation path that passes through parts of Asia, Southern Europe and the southern part of North America.
‘The asteroid (Leona) will appear to move from west to east in the sky, and for northern hemisphere observers, that means right to left,’ said Dr Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society.
In Europe the path of the occultation crosses the Mediterranean, including southern Italy, southern Spain and southern Portugal, as well as Florida and Mexico.’
According to The Sky at Night, Betelgeuse will be visible for seven seconds. This time duration can be longer or shorter depending on the observation.
‘Each observer will see an event lasting 5 to 15 seconds,’ says Dr Massey.
2023-12-11 14:47:00
#Super #rare #event #Betelgeuse #star #disappear #night #sky #seconds #whats #wrong #Space #Space
