A rare and spectacular event is set to occur early next week, as an asteroid named Leona will pass in front of the Betelgeuse star, producing a unique eclipse that will be visible to millions of people.
The eclipse is expected to last no more than 15 seconds and will be visible along a narrow path from Tajikistan and Armenia, across Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, Miami and the Florida Keys, and parts of Mexico.
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant in the constellation Orion and is one of the biggest and brightest stars in the night sky. The asteroid Leona is a slowly rotating space rock in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Astronomers are eager to observe the eclipse to gather more information about Betelgeuse and Leona. There are uncertainties about the size of both the star and the asteroid, as well as the nature of the eclipse itself. It is unclear if the asteroid will obscure the entire star, producing a total eclipse, or if it will result in a “ring of fire” eclipse with a minuscule blazing border around the star.
Astronomer Gianluca Masa, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, described the event as “even more intriguing” due to the uncertainties surrounding the eclipse.
Betelgeuse is thousands of times brighter than our sun and some 700 times bigger. It is so huge that if it replaced our sun, it would stretch beyond Jupiter, according to Nasa. Scientists expect Betelgeuse to go supernova in a violent explosion within 100,000 years.
The event is set to take place late on Monday into early Tuesday, and astronomers recommend using binoculars or small telescopes to enhance the view. The eclipse will also be live-streamed from Italy by the Virtual Telescope Project for those who are unable to witness it in person.