Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars, will temporarily disappear due to an asteroid

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An asteroid in our photo voltaic system will briefly block the sunshine of Betelgeuse, one of many brightest stars within the evening sky, Monday night and early Tuesday morning.

The uncommon cosmic occasion will probably be seen to thousands and thousands who stay inside a slim strip that encircles half the globe and contains Mexico, southern Florida, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Central Asia.

Astronomers anticipate the occasion, referred to as an occultation, round 8:17 p.m. ET. If you happen to’re exterior of the height visibility zone or inclement climate blocks your view, The Digital Telescope Venture will probably be livestreaming the event from Italy starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Betelgeuse is a crimson supergiant star about 700 light-years away that serves because the shoulder within the Orion constellation, in line with NASA.

Given its intense luminosity, Betelgeuse is what astronomers name a primary magnitude star. Set to cross between the star and Earth is Leona, a barely oval-shaped asteroid positioned between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Leona is estimated to be about 50 miles (80 kilometers) by 34 miles (55 kilometers) in measurement.

Whereas occultations, or asteroids briefly blocking the sunshine of stars, happen frequently, it’s uncommon for area rocks to completely obscure the sunshine of a primary magnitude star from our perspective on Earth, stated Gianluca Masi, astronomer and astrophysicist on the Bellatrix Astronomical Observatory in Italy and director of the Digital Telescope Venture.

Betelgeuse’s occultation is the kind of occasion that happens solely as soon as each few a long time, Masi stated.

Relying on the angular measurement of each the star and the asteroid, or the obvious measurement of every object as seen from Earth, Betelgeuse might fully blink out of sight for a matter of seconds, not in contrast to a total solar eclipse, Masi stated.

It’s doable that the asteroid gained’t block all the starlight from Betelgeuse because it passes between Earth and the enormous star, creating a visual “ring of fireplace” just like an annular solar eclipse.

“We do anticipate the occasion will final for 10 (to) 15 seconds in complete, if and the way lengthy the star will completely disappear will rely (on) the annular or complete protection by Leona,” Masi stated through e mail. “Seemingly, the star will fade and will probably be again step by step, not out of the blue, due to the angular measurement of Betelgeuse.”

Betelgeuse is so vibrant that it may be seen with the bare eye, however Masi recommends viewing this occasion with binoculars or a telescope.

Astronomers are keen to look at the occultation as a result of it should assist them to gather scientific information on Leona and Betelgeuse that might be tougher to assemble in any other case.

Scientists observing the occultation might get extra detailed and correct measurements of the asteroid’s measurement and perception into what’s occurring with Betelgeuse, which suddenly dimmed in 2019 and 2020, inflicting researchers to query whether or not the enormous star was about to blow up in a supernova.

Whereas Betelgeuse is vibrant as soon as extra and a stellar eruption is broadly regarded as the main culprit behind the dramatic dimming event, astronomers nonetheless query whether or not the star is on the trail to an explosive finish within the close to future or hundreds of years from now.

“We will probably be hopefully capable of study extra about (Betelgeuse’s) giant convective cells, driving its variable brightness,” Masi stated. “It is likely one of the finest candidates for a future supernova occasion, so the significance of the upcoming occultation is undoubtedly extraordinarily excessive.”

Observing Betelgeuse, which is estimated to be about 10 million years previous, permits astronomers to look at what occurs late within the lifetime of a star. As Betelgeuse burns via gasoline in its core, it has swollen to large proportions, turning into a crimson supergiant, the latter section of big stars. When the star explodes, the occasion might be briefly seen in the course of the daytime on Earth.

Masi is trying ahead to amassing scientific observations of the occultation, which acts as a type of preview for what our evening sky will appear like at some point when Betelgeuse disappears after exploding.

“I can’t think about seeing the legendary Orion constellation with out its well-known, orange shoulder, as will probably be within the distant future, as soon as Betelgeuse may have exploded as a supernova and light to black,” Masi stated.

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