J.R. Johnson

Want to see a rare astronomical event tonight? (And really, why wouldn’t you?)

The extremely rare Betelgeuse occultation by asteroid (319) Leona

For a very short time, we will see the legendary Orion constellation without its famous, orange shoulder, as it will be in the distant future, once Betelgeuse will have exploded as a supernova and faded to black.

Hey, I like Orion! What’s this all about?

Watch an asteroid eclipse the puzzling red giant star Betelgeuse tonight live online

At at 8:17 p.m. EST Monday (Dec. 11) (0117 GMT, Dec. 12), 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 up to 15 seconds in an event known as an occultation. The asteroid is known as 319 Leona, a main 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.

Here’s a link to live coverage of the event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELQx7SCadM4

So Orion’s loss is temporary, and will also help scientists better understand both the asteroid’s shape and the star’s characteristics. No Tim Burton movie required!

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