The asteroid will cover one of the brightest stars for 15 seconds, causing an eclipse
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From December 11 to 12, Betelgeuse will pass by the asteroid Leon, an oblong space rock from the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that rotates slowly.
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| A picture of Betelgeuse taken from Earth. Photo: ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2/Davide De Martin |
The blackout will last no more than 15 seconds. It will be visible to people living along a path that stretches from Tajikistan and Armenia, through Turkey, Greece, Italy and Spain to Miami, the Florida Keys and parts of Mexico.
With the help of the eclipse, astronomers hope to learn more about Betelgeuse and Leona. In particular, during the last observation, they determined the size of the asteroid – 55 kilometers wide and 80 kilometers long.
It is not known whether Leona will cover the entire star, causing a total eclipse. Scientists suggest that a “ring of fire” may form.
It will be recalled that an “archipelago of spots” 15 times wider than the Earth has appeared on the Sun, which can cause magnetic storms.
Read also: Asteroids and “diamond rain”. What do you know about the solar system? TEST
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