Betelgeuse To Wink Out Tonight

 Hey, Space Placers!

Betelgeuse 

Credit: Greg Redfern

In a matter of hours, tonight at 8:17 p.m.  EST (the predicted time for Florida that could vary a bit), an asteroid (space rock) called 319 Leona, is going to pass in front of the giant and bright star, Betelgeuse in the constellation of Orion.

This VERY rare event will only be visible along a very narrow path across the Earth's surface. In the U.S., southern Florida will have a ring side seat.

This event is being referred to as an "eclipse event" but it is REALLY an occultation. See the difference here.

To view the event live you can tune in to the Virtual Telescope Project in Rome, Italy. They will host a free livestream of the event starting at 8 p.m. EDT on Monday, Dec. 11 (0100 GMT on Dec. 12).

Let's hope the weather is good in Italy and along the occultation path.

Sky Guy in VA

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