Rare Eclipse to Occur as Asteroid Passes in Front of the Bright Star Betelgeuse

A major celestial event will take place as an asteroid obscures one of the sky’s largest and most luminous stars, creating a unique eclipse. This extraordinary event is expected to happen late Monday into early Tuesday and will be visible across a swath stretching from Tajikistan and Armenia in Central Asia, traversing through countries including Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, and extending to Miami, the Florida Keys, and parts of Mexico.

The star in question is Betelgeuse, a massive red supergiant located in the Orion constellation. The asteroid causing the eclipse is named Leona, a large, oblong asteroid orbiting in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Astronomers are eager to learn more about both Betelgeuse and Leona from this eclipse, anticipated to last up to 15 seconds. Earlier observations of Leona eclipsing a dimmer star in September led a Spanish research team to estimate its size at approximately 34 miles in width and 50 miles in length.

However, there’s uncertainty regarding the exact dimensions of both the star and its atmosphere, as well as the asteroid. It’s not yet known if Leona will completely cover Betelgeuse, resulting in a total eclipse, or if it will leave a bright, thin border around the star, creating a “ring of fire” effect. If a total eclipse occurs, it’s uncertain how long Betelgeuse will be completely obscured, potentially up to 10 seconds.

Astronomer Gianluca Masa, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, expressed excitement over the unpredictability of the event. His project will be broadcasting the eclipse live from Italy.

Betelgeuse, estimated to be about 700 light-years from Earth, is clearly visible to the naked eye. Using binoculars or small telescopes can enhance the viewing experience. The star is significantly brighter and larger than the sun, so immense that if it were in the sun’s place, it would extend beyond Jupiter.

Despite being only 10 million years old, Betelgeuse is expected to have a relatively short lifespan due to its mass and rapid consumption of its resources. After undergoing periods of fluctuating brightness, it dramatically dimmed in 2019 due to a large amount of surface material being ejected into space, temporarily obscuring the star. It regained its usual brightness within six months.

Scientists predict that Betelgeuse will eventually explode in a supernova, an event expected to occur within the next 100,000 years.