Betelgeuse eclipse live stream: Asteroid Leona passes in front of bright star
Betelgeuse eclipse on 12 December 2023
Headlines:
- On December 12th, asteroid 319 Leona will pass by one of the brightest stars in the night sky, Betelgeuse.
- The event will lead the star to be blocked from our view for a short time, creating an eclipse
Follow the live stream:
A few details about Betelgeuse
There is a red supergiant star situated in the Orion constellation which is one of the brightest stars in the night sky and can be easily seen without any aid. It is also one of the most luminous stars in the night sky, but its brightness varies and sometimes exceeds that of Rigel, which is Orion's brightest star. The star has consumed all the nuclear fuel in its core and is expected to end its life by exploding as a supernova, but it won't be visible for another 100,000 years.
In 2023, the US will experience a unique solar and lunar eclipse, with the next one taking place in front of a different star called Betelgeuse. This star is a thousand times brighter than the sun, but an asteroid passing in front of it will temporarily block it from view.
During this event, the legendary Orion constellation will be visible without its famous, orange shoulder, giving us a glimpse of what it will look like in the distant future, once Betelgeuse has exploded as a supernova and faded to black. The eclipse will last for a maximum of 15 seconds and will be visible on the night of December 11/12.
Florida is the best place to see the eclipse in person, but you can also watch it online through the Virtual Telescope Project.