Moon hides Antares on August 24, 2023
Have you ever ever seen the moon move in entrance of a vivid star, briefly blocking it for a time frame? We in North America will get an opportunity to see the moon move in entrance of the intense star Antares within the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion on August 24, 2023. The reddish star will disappear underneath the darkened limb (edge) of the half-lit moon. Then Antares will reemerge from behind the lit portion of the moon.
The precise second Antares disappears and reappears and the way lengthy it’s behind the moon all rely in your location. You may test In-The-Sky.org for a map of locations that may see the occultation. Or go to Stellarium for a exact view out of your location.
When you’re within the northeast, you may see the beginning of the occultation earlier than the moon units. When you’re too far south, the moon will skim above Antares however not truly move in entrance of it. And for these within the far northwest, the occasion happens in daylight.
The view in binoculars
By way of binoculars, you may get a greater view of the occasion. Our charts are tailor-made for the central area of america. When you’re in an space the place the sun remains to be above the horizon through the occultation, use excessive warning when pointing binoculars so that you’re by no means pointing them close to the sun. A glimpse of the sun via binoculars or a telescope can lead to blindness.
After Antares disappears, spend a while inspecting the moon’s terminator, the dividing line between day and evening. Study the craters, mountains and ridges as you watch for Antares to reappear from underneath the moon’s lit hemisphere.
Backside line: For components of North America, the moon occults Antares on the night of August 24, 2023. The reddish star will disappear behind the darkish limb (edge) of the moon and reemerge underneath the lit half.
