Asteroid Eclipse to Temporarily Vanish Betelgeuse, a Bright Star

Tonight, an asteroid named 319 Leona will pass in front of the red giant star Betelgeuse, causing an occultation event where the star will be blocked from view for up to 15 seconds. This rare occurrence provides astronomers with a unique opportunity to study Betelgeuse's photosphere. The occultation will only be visible along a narrow path from central Mexico to southern Florida, and then from southern Europe and Eurasia. However, the Virtual Telescope Project in Rome will host a free livestream of the event. Betelgeuse is one of the largest and brightest stars in the night sky and has been the subject of speculation regarding a potential supernova explosion.