Selasa 18 Mar 2014 23:53 WIB

Big asteroid will eclipse bright star Thursday

Artist's view of a watery asteroid in the white-dwarf system GD 61
Foto: en.wikipedia.org
Artist's view of a watery asteroid in the white-dwarf system GD 61

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CAPE CANAVERAL - Skywatchers, get ready to see a rare vanishing act — and don't blink. In the wee hours of Thursday, a 45-mile (73-kilometer)-wide asteroid will eclipse the brightest star in the Constellation Leo. The asteroid is 163 Erigone in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The star briefly disappearing will be Regulus.

This so-called occultation will last no more than 14 seconds, around 2 am EDT (0600 GMT). It could be as short as a fraction of a second. What makes this unusual is the brightness of Regulus and the potential viewing audience. Weather permitting, the eclipse should be visible with the naked eye from New York City and elsewhere along a populated swath in the US Northeast and eastern Canada.

sumber : AP
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