ONE of the brightest objects in the night sky is going to vanish before our eyes next week.
The iconic Betelgeuse star will disappear from sight due to an extremely rare “occultation” – and you’ll be able to see it with the naked eye.
GettyBetelgeuse is the 10th-brightest star in the night sky[/caption]
GettyBetelgeuse is the red star just to the right of the very centre of this image – and further to its right is Orion’s Belt, made up of three bright stars in a straight line[/caption]
Betelgeuse is a supergiant star known for its bright and vivid red appearance.
But it will “blink” into darkness on Monday, December 11.
That’s because – by extreme chance – an asteroid will pass in front of it, blocking it from view for parts of Earth.
The event will last for just 12 seconds, so you need to be in the right place at the right time.
Why is Betelgeuse disappearing?
Betelgeuse is one of the most iconic stars in our night sky, and the 10th brightest to human eyes.
In a rare event, the asteroid named 319 Leona will pass across its face.
This will cause most of the light from the star to be blocked – although you may still see some surrounding glow.
It’s called an “occultation”, and is very rare for such a large star.
Scientists hope that the event will help them map Betelgeuse’s surface using data from the event.
When is Betelgeuse disappearing? How to see rare occultation
Betelgeuse will only disappear for around 12 seconds.
You’ll be able to see it at 8.17pm ET (New York time) on December 11 – or 1.17am GMT (London time) on December 12 – with the naked eye.
But it will look much more impressive if you use binoculars, or better still a telescope.
The time may also be shifted slightly depending on where you are in the world – so start looking a few minutes before the designated time.
It’s also important to note that the full occultation will only be visible to people in a narrow path across the globe.
The best place to see it in the US will be southern Florida, and eastern Mexico will also have a good view.
Southern Europe will be able to see the occultation very clearly, as well as parts of Asia.
You’ll also need to rely on having a clear night – clouds will obscure the event otherwise.
And don’t forget that space events are always best viewed in dark areas away from city lights.
To find Betelgeuse, simply use a stargazing app like Night Sky on iPhone.
You’ll be able to spot it thanks to its distinctive red glow.
To find it manually, just look for Orion’s Belt and then find the red star just to its left.