Rare Eclipse to Temporarily Vanish Bright Star Betelgeuse

Astronomers anticipate unique opportunity to study star and asteroid 319 Leona during event visible along narrow global path.

Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, will temporarily vanish due to a rare eclipse caused by asteroid 319 Leona passing in front of it on December 12.
The event will be visible along a narrow path stretching from central Asia to parts of Mexico, including Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, Miami and the Florida Keys.
The eclipse will provide a unique opportunity for astronomers to gather information about Betelgeuse and the asteroid, potentially helping to understand the birth of planetary systems.
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant in the constellation Orion, visible with the naked eye and thousands of times brighter than our sun.
Scientists expect Betelgeuse to go supernova in a violent explosion within 100,000 years.