Tomorrow, a rare event will occur in the night sky as main belt asteroid Leona passes directly in front of the star Betelgeuse. This will cause the red giant star to dim or even vanish for millions of people located along a narrow path from South Florida to Italy and Greece. Astronomers are thrilled about this opportunity to study Betelgeuse with extreme precision and analyze its diameter and brightness distribution. There are still uncertainties surrounding the occultation, including the shape of the asteroid and potential surprises that may arise. Nonetheless, this event will provide fascinating insights into the behavior of Betelgeuse and possibly its future supernova explosion.
https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2023/12/10/an-extremely-rare-occultation-of-betelgeuse/