Mumbai, December 11: A rare astronomical event will occur on Monday and early Tuesday when Betelgeuse, one of the most well-known and bright stars in the sky, will vanish for a few seconds. Then, it will reappear, shining as usual. Astronomers hope this will be the star’s final act before it explodes, but they must wait. The reason for Betelgeuse’s temporary disappearance is an asteroid called Leona, which was discovered in 1891.

Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star that humans have admired for ages. It is part of the constellation Orion and is only 650 light-years from Earth. Betelgeuse has been behaving strangely lately. In 2019, it dimmed significantly in what was dubbed the “Great Dimming.” Astronomers thought this might be a sign that the star was about to go supernova, but it did not. Instead, it has been fluctuating in brightness more than usual. Aditya L1 Update: ISRO Spacecraft Captures Full-Disk Images of Sun in Near Ultraviolet Wavelengths (See Pics).

What Will Cause Betelgeuse to Disappear, and Who Will Be Able To Observe it From Earth?

As per the Independent report, Leona orbits the sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and on December 11 at 8:17 P.M. ET, it will pass between Earth and Betelgeuse, blocking the star’s light. As asteroid Leona passes in front of the well-known star, skywatchers in central Asia's Tajikistan and Armenia, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Spain, Miami, Florida and parts of Mexico will be able to witness Betelgeuse become fainter and nearly disappear for a duration of 7 to 12 seconds.

This event is similar to a total solar eclipse, which will happen in April 2024. During a total solar eclipse, the moon covers the sun completely, revealing its corona, a faint and wispy layer of its atmosphere normally invisible from Earth. NASA Shares Stunning Visual of Massive Star Formation Located 7,200 Light Years Away From Earth in Constellation Aquila (See Pic).

Scientists have been observing Betelgeuse with various instruments, including the Hubble Space Telescope, ground-based telescopes, and even a Japanese weather satellite. However, the occultation by Leona will offer them a unique chance to see the star’s surface, which has hot and cold spots.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 11, 2023 11:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).