On Monday, December 11, Betelgeuse, the 10th-brightest night sky star, will briefly dim when asteroid 319 Leona passes in front. Lasting just 12 seconds, this event offers astronomers a rare opportunity to map the giant star's surface, potentially revealing insights into its recent unusual behavior.
Betelgeuse's Dimming Light Baffles Scientists
In 2019, Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star in the Orion constellation, experienced a significant dimming, losing two-thirds of its luminosity by February 2020. Scientists initially attributed the dimming to a giant dust cloud obscuring the star's light, dispelling fears of an imminent supernova.
A 2022 analysis using the Hubble Space Telescope revealed that the dimming resulted from an enormous ejection, akin to a starquake, creating a plume over 1 million miles across. This unprecedented mass ejection blew off a substantial chunk of Betelgeuse's surface, leaving a cool spot obscured by the dust cloud.
The ejected mass, several times the mass of Earth's Moon, disrupted Betelgeuse's pulsating pattern on a 400-day cycle, suggesting ongoing internal changes. The star's outer atmosphere may have returned to normal, but its surface continues to exhibit unusual behavior, resembling Jell-O-like jiggling.
While the eruption doesn't signal an imminent supernova, it provides insights into how aging stars shed mass. Betelgeuse's eventual explosion, likely in 100,000 years, will be visible in daylight but poses no threat to Earth due to its considerable distance.
How To Watch Betelgeuse Occultation Next Week
Four years after the unusual dimming of Betelgeuse, the red supergiant star is going to dim again next week. In an unusual occultation event, asteroid 319 Leona will pass in front of Betelgeuse from Earth's point of view and has the potential to create a "ring of fire" annular eclipse that is observable from a limited vantage point.
The occultation, a brief event lasting about 12 seconds, will be visible along a narrow path spanning from Asia to southern Europe, Florida, and eastern Mexico. The International Occultation Timing Association provides detailed information, including a downloadable Google Earth file illustrating the entire path for interested skywatchers.
For those not situated within the occultation path, a live stream of the event will be available, hosted by The Virtual Telescope Project in Italy, conveniently located within the path of the occultation. The live stream is scheduled to commence at 8:00 p.m. EST on December 11, with the actual occultation expected around 8:17 p.m. EST, though precise timing may vary as the orbit of 319 Leona is refined.
Viewers within the occultation path can witness the event without binoculars or a telescope, although these tools can enhance the viewing experience.
To locate Betelgeuse from the Northern Hemisphere in December, observers can look east approximately two hours after sunset. The three stars of Orion's Belt will rise into the sky, with Betelgeuse positioned to the left.
Astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, director of The Virtual Telescope Project, highlighted the scientific significance of such occultations in shaping the understanding of the involved asteroids' shapes. The event may also facilitate the mapping of Betelgeuse's surface, offering insights into the large convective cells influencing its variable brightness.
RELATED ARTICLE: Red Supergiant Star Betelgeuse Continues to Dim. Is This Goodbye?
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