A Halloween Lunar Event
A very unusual lunar event will be visible tonight in large
areas of the northeastern United States. The event is called an occultation and
occurs when the waning gibbous moon passes over the enormous, bright orange
star of Aldebaran. Aldebaran is known as the bull's fiery, red eye in the Taurus constellation. Merrit Kennedy from NPR explains, “As the moon ascends the
eastern sky, Aldebaran will appear to creep up onto the moon’s sunlit edge and
cast an eerie, orange fire among the lunar hills.” If this isn’t spooky and
suitable for Halloween, I don’t know what is.
EarthSky recommends using a pair of binoculars or a telescope to see the event. They also suggest using your thumb to cover the moon to get a better view of the Aldebaran star. This could be exactly what you need to get into the Halloween spirit, not to mention your last opportunity to see a lunar occultation until 2033. So grab some binoculars, go outside and prepare to be spooked.
EarthSky recommends using a pair of binoculars or a telescope to see the event. They also suggest using your thumb to cover the moon to get a better view of the Aldebaran star. This could be exactly what you need to get into the Halloween spirit, not to mention your last opportunity to see a lunar occultation until 2033. So grab some binoculars, go outside and prepare to be spooked.
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