Tonight – April 6, 2017 – the waxing gibbous moon passes quite close to Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion. Despite the fact that the moon and Regulus will move westward across nighttime sky, the moon – as always – will move eastward relative to the backdrop stars of the zodiac. Why? because it’s moving in orbit around Earth.
That’s why, in the evenings following April 6, you’ll see the moon each evening farther and farther from Regulus on the sky’s dome.
From North America and most of South America, the moon will sweep very close to Regulus on April 6, passing to the south of the star. From the southern tip of South America, the moon will actually swing directly in front of this star on April 6. It’ll cause what astronomers call an occultation of Regulus, when the moon blots the star, temporarily, from view. Click here for more on this occultation of Regulus in southern South America.
Regulus lies along the ecliptic, which marks the path of the sun, moon and planets across our sky. In fact, it’s the only 1st-magnitude star – the only one of our sky’s brightest stars – to sit almost squarely on the ecliptic.
When the moon’s path is situated in such a way that the moon begins occulting Regulus, it occults this star many times, for many months in a row. A series of 19 monthly occultations of Regulus by the moon began on December 18, 2016, and will conclude on April 24, 2018. To see any one of these occultations, of course, you have to be at just the right spot on Earth. Click here for more on 2017’s occultations of Regulus.
Three other 1st-magnitude stars – that is, bright stars – reside close enough to the ecliptic to be occulted by the moon: Aldebaran, Antares and Spica. As it happens, Aldebaran, too, is in the midst of an series of 49 monthly occuotations that started on January 29, 2015 and will conclude on September 3, 2018.
Antares and Spica have no occultaion series going on at present. Spica will have a series of 20 monthly occultations from June 16, 2024 to November 17, 2025; whereas Antares will have a series of 68 monthly occultations from August 25, 2023 to August 27, 2028.
Bottom line: On the night of April 6, enjoy the close pairing of the moon and Regulus. From the southern tip of South America, the moon will occult Regulus. Click here for more on this occultation of Regulus in southern South America.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2oM2Que
Tonight – April 6, 2017 – the waxing gibbous moon passes quite close to Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion. Despite the fact that the moon and Regulus will move westward across nighttime sky, the moon – as always – will move eastward relative to the backdrop stars of the zodiac. Why? because it’s moving in orbit around Earth.
That’s why, in the evenings following April 6, you’ll see the moon each evening farther and farther from Regulus on the sky’s dome.
From North America and most of South America, the moon will sweep very close to Regulus on April 6, passing to the south of the star. From the southern tip of South America, the moon will actually swing directly in front of this star on April 6. It’ll cause what astronomers call an occultation of Regulus, when the moon blots the star, temporarily, from view. Click here for more on this occultation of Regulus in southern South America.
Regulus lies along the ecliptic, which marks the path of the sun, moon and planets across our sky. In fact, it’s the only 1st-magnitude star – the only one of our sky’s brightest stars – to sit almost squarely on the ecliptic.
When the moon’s path is situated in such a way that the moon begins occulting Regulus, it occults this star many times, for many months in a row. A series of 19 monthly occultations of Regulus by the moon began on December 18, 2016, and will conclude on April 24, 2018. To see any one of these occultations, of course, you have to be at just the right spot on Earth. Click here for more on 2017’s occultations of Regulus.
Three other 1st-magnitude stars – that is, bright stars – reside close enough to the ecliptic to be occulted by the moon: Aldebaran, Antares and Spica. As it happens, Aldebaran, too, is in the midst of an series of 49 monthly occuotations that started on January 29, 2015 and will conclude on September 3, 2018.
Antares and Spica have no occultaion series going on at present. Spica will have a series of 20 monthly occultations from June 16, 2024 to November 17, 2025; whereas Antares will have a series of 68 monthly occultations from August 25, 2023 to August 27, 2028.
Bottom line: On the night of April 6, enjoy the close pairing of the moon and Regulus. From the southern tip of South America, the moon will occult Regulus. Click here for more on this occultation of Regulus in southern South America.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2oM2Que
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire