Rare Celestial Event: Betelgeuse to be Occulted by Asteroid on December 12th

On December 12th, asteroid 319 Leona will pass directly in front of Betelgeuse, the red giant star in the constellation of Orion. This rare event, known as an occultation, will be visible to observers along a corridor from central Asia and southern Europe to Florida and Mexico. The passage of the asteroid in front of Betelgeuse will provide scientists with an opportunity to study the star's behavior and learn more about the orbit and shape of the asteroid. Observers are advised to be aware of uncertainties in the predictions and to be prepared for the star to either completely blink out or fade during the event.