One of the most highly anticipated celestial events is set to take place late Monday into early Tuesday as an asteroid passes in front of the massive star Betelgeuse, creating a unique and rare eclipse. This mesmerizing spectacle will captivate millions of people around the world and will also be livestreamed for those unable to witness it in person.
The star at the center of this event is Betelgeuse, a red supergiant located in the Orion constellation. Despite being approximately 700 light-years away from Earth, Betelgeuse is visible to the naked eye, although using binoculars or small telescopes will enhance the viewing experience. To put the distance into perspective, a light-year equates to a staggering 5.8 trillion miles.
The passing asteroid, 319 Leona, is a slow rotating and elongated space rock situated in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Scientists hope to gain valuable insights about both Betelgeuse and Leona through this eclipse, which is predicted to last for no more than 15 seconds. It will provide a glimpse of the future, showcasing what the Orion constellation will look like once Betelgeuse eventually goes supernova and fades to black.
The Virtual Telescope Project, based in Italy, will be providing a live webcast of the eclipse, allowing viewers from around the world to witness this extraordinary event. Gianluca Masi, the founder of the project, expressed his excitement, stating, "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."
The size of the asteroid and the star, as well as the extent of the eclipse, still hold some uncertainties. A Spanish-led team estimated Leona to be approximately 34 miles wide and 50 miles long based on an eclipse of a dimmer star in September. However, these predictions remain subject to further verification. It remains to be seen if the asteroid will completely obscure Betelgeuse, resulting in a total eclipse, or if a "ring of fire" eclipse will occur, with a small, blazing border surrounding the star. The duration of the star's disappearance during a total eclipse is also uncertain, potentially lasting up to 10 seconds.
The livestream of the eclipse will commence at 8 p.m. EST on Monday, hosted by the Virtual Telescope Project. The event itself is expected to occur around 8:17 p.m., according to Sky & Telescope. Gianluca Masi emphasized the significance of such occultations, stating, "This kind of occultations are very useful to constrain the shape of the asteroid involved. Here, we hope to even investigate the surface of the involved star, too: Betelgeuse. It is a large red supergiant and while Leona will move in front of it as seen from Earth, we will be hopefully able to learn more about its large convective cells, driving its variable brightness."
Betelgeuse is an astronomical marvel, being thousands of times brighter than our sun and approximately 700 times larger. If it were to replace our sun, its immense size would extend beyond the orbit of Jupiter. Despite its colossal stature, Betelgeuse is relatively young, only 10 million years old compared to the 4.6 billion-year-old sun. Given its enormous mass and the speed at which it's consuming its material, scientists anticipate Betelgeuse to have a relatively short lifespan.
In 2019, Betelgeuse experienced a dramatic dimming when a significant amount of surface material was ejected into space, resulting in a temporary blockage of starlight due to the resulting dust cloud. However, within six months, Betelgeuse returned to its previous brightness level.
As the eclipse draws near, the anticipation is building among astronomers and stargazers alike. The uncertainty surrounding the exact outcome of the eclipse only adds to the intrigue, making this an even more captivating event for all those fortunate enough to witness it, whether in person or through the livestream. This celestial spectacle serves as a reminder of the vast wonders of the universe and the endless mysteries that continue to captivate humanity.
