Giant Asteroid Eclipses Star Tonight in Rare Celestial Event: How to Watch Live

[bananas]

Source: Space.com

An asteroid the size of Rhode Island will briefly blot out one of the brightest stars in the sky overnight tonight (March 19-20), and you can watch the rare celestial event live online, weather permitting.

At around 2:05 a.m. EDT (0605 GMT) Thursday morning (March 20), a 45-mile-wide (72 kilometers) asteroid 163 Erigone will eclipse Regulus, as seen from a swath of North America, making the 22nd-brightest star in the sky disappear for a few seconds.

This "occultation" will be visible from the ground only to people in a narrow corridor in northeastern North America. However, the online Slooh Space Camera will offer live views of the eclipse during a show that begins at 1:45 a.m. EDT (0545 GMT) Thursday. You can follow it at www.slooh.com or watch the asteroid-Regulus webcast here on Space.com, courtesy of Slooh. [Rare Asteroid Eclipse of Star Regulus: A Photo Guide]

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Read more: http://www.space.com/25127-rare-asteroid-star-eclipse-tonight-webcast.html

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The predicted occultation path of the bright star Regulus by the asteroid 163 Erigone on March 20, 2014 is shown in this map by Geoff Hitchcox/IOTA using Google Maps. The blue lines show the outer edges of the zone where Regulus will be blacked out if the prediction is perfect. Astronomers expect the prediction to be closely on target; the actual shadow path is almost sure to fall somewhere between the slightly wider uncertainty lines (within the red lines to 68-percent probability, within the gray lines to 95-percent probability).
Credit: Geoff Hitchcox / IOTA / Google Maps

[Demeter]

1. While I might be up then, I'm not in the path

Sigh, it's always the same. Whenever there are meteor showers in my neighborhood, or auroras, or whatever, it's cloudy.

The New Yorkers won't see a thing unless they get a blackout.

[bananas]

2. It just misses Cornell

With the new Cosmos show, I thought it would be interesting if it was observable from Cornell, but it just misses.

Zoomable map at http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/misc/HIP_49669_by_163_Erigone_on_2014_Mar_20.htm

[onehandle]

10. A high school friend of mine is an Astronomer at Cornell.

Wondering if he is going out in the field to observe.

[Baclava]

3. Tonight: 40°F Chance of rain:100%

http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/New+York+NY+USNY0996

[bananas]

4. Zoomable map at www.asteroidoccultation.com

Zoomable at http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/misc/HIP_49669_by_163_Erigone_on_2014_Mar_20.htm

Main page at http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. But is the moon in the 7th house?

[bananas]

6. Sky and Telescope article

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/about/pressreleases/Press-Release_Asteroid-to-Black-Out-Bright-Star-250145701.html

[blackspade]

7. So cool!

I love astronomy.

[Chef Eric]

8. What does the "size of Rhode Island" mean?

When I look at Rhode Island on a map, I see a two-dimensional shape.

Is the asteroid two-dimensional, like a gigantic piece of paper?

Jeez, one would think that the "Senior Writer" at space.com would know how to describe an asteroid in a way that made a little bit of FUCKING SENSE.

[jberryhill]

11. Well, for the purpose of its occultation potential

...what actually matters in this context is its 2D projected size.

[bvf]

16. Considering the post you were responding to,

I'd say your response was extraordinarily well mannered and matter-of-fact. Thanks, jberryhill.

[elleng]

18. Quite right!

[Earth_First]

9. Were about 100 miles west of it's viewable path...

Although it's pouring here tonight anyhow.

[yuiyoshida]

12. Right over NEW YORK CITY?

I bet in those bright lights of the City, no one will see a thing.

[Thor_MN]

14. Well, that's kind of what makes it special.

No way anyone is seeing the asteroid itself, but it is going to pass in front of a BRIGHT star.

'Regulus shines right through moonlight and light pollution that's in the sky — even the light pollution over a city like New York," says Alan MacRobert, a senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine.

It's the fact that the bright star will 'disappear' for 14 seconds that makes it visible to the human eye.

[yuiyoshida]

15. Hey!

As long as it doesn't fly off course and end up in Central Park.

[Thor_MN]

17. Well, never been to New York, but I think Rhode Island is a bit bigger than Central Park

Doesn't really matter much, if it hit Central Park, no one is having a good night.

[yourmovemonkey]

13. Just out of the zone here in Albany

I'm pretty sure it's raining in the Catskills and Syracuse area tonight too. Maybe our Canadian neighbors are having clear skies.