In science and astronomy, sometimes a negative or subtle result can be as interesting as a positive one. That’s just what occultation-chasers where confronted with this past Monday evening on the night of December 11th/12th, when asteroid 319 Leona occulted (passed in front of) the +0.5 magnitude star Betelgeuse

On the night of December 11–12, 2023, asteroid 319 Leona passed in front of the star Betelgeuse. This event is known as an occultation. 

Depending on the observer’s location, the asteroid blocked Betelgeuse for 5–15 seconds. Some say the star darkened for about 10 seconds, but did not completely disappear. 

Some say that the asteroid is about 34 miles wide and 50 miles long. 

Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star that is about 950 times larger than the sun, with a diameter of about 767 million miles. It is 10–20 times more massive than the sun and emits 7,500–14,000 times more energy.

Betelgeuse is the main star in the Orion constellation, also known as Alpha Orionis. It’s located at the top left corner of the parallelogram of stars that make up Orion’s Belt

Betelgeuse is the second brightest star in Orion, and the eighth brightest star in the night sky. It’s known for its periodic dimming and brightening, which can sometimes affect its ranking. 

Betelgeuse is part of a rectangular shape made up of four stars, including Rigel, Bellatrix, and Saiph. The three stars of Orion’s Belt, Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka, are located at the center of this shape

In 1603, German astronomer Johann Bayer gave Betelgeuse the Latin name Alpha Orionis, which means “the brightest star in its constellation”. 

Although Rigel is now known to be brighter than Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse retains its name because it’s a variable star whose magnitude varies between 0.2 and 1.2. At its brightest, Betelgeuse is very close to Rigel’s magnitude. 

Betelgeuse is also the brightest star in the night sky at near-infrared wavelengths

On December 12, 2023, asteroid 319 Leona passed in front of the star Betelgeuse, causing it to dim for a few seconds. This event is known as an occultation. 

Leona is a main-belt asteroid that was discovered in 1891. Occultations of major stars are rare, happening only every few decades when an asteroid’s orbit crosses our line of sight. 

The occultation was visible from a narrow strip of locations, including Miami, the Florida Keys, and parts of Mexico. Viewers in parts of Europe and Asia should also have been able to see the event. 

The event could have been viewed from the ground using equipment like a DSLR mounted on a tripod. For people outside of the viewing area, the event could have been watched through a live feed on the Virtual Telescope Project. However, the event was canceled due to clouds

The asteroid that passed between Earth and the star Betelgeuse on December 11, 2023, blocked the star for 5–15 seconds, depending on the observer’s location. The event was a rare type of eclipse, known as an occultation, that scientists hope will provide new insights into the star and the asteroid

The asteroid may not have blocked all of the starlight, creating a “ring of fire” similar to an annular solar eclipse. If it was a total eclipse, astronomers estimate the star may have disappeared for up to 10 seconds. 

The eclipse’s path followed a narrow band from parts of Europe into Mexico and the southern tip of Florida

In astronomy, an occultation is when one object passes in front of another, blocking the light from the second object. For example, a solar eclipse is an occultation when the moon passes in front of the sun, partially or totally blocking its light

Here are some other examples of occultations: 

• A planet passing in front of a star 
• One planet passing in front of another 
• An asteroid passing in front of a star 

Occultations are related to the observer’s position on Earth. For example, an asteroid occultation of the star Betelgeuse on December 12, 2023, was an uncommon event

(Full article source google)

Best telescopes on discount on Amazon