Asteroid Leona Aligns with Betelgeuse to Produce Rare Cosmic Eclipse Visible Across Europe, Africa and Americas

An extremely rare astronomical event is occurring late Monday into early Tuesday that should captivate millions of eager viewers across parts of Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

An asteroid named Leona will pass directly in front of one of the night sky's biggest and brightest stars, Betelgeuse, briefly blocking its light to produce a fleeting but enthralling eclipse.

While the narrow path of visibility excludes large swaths of Earth's surface area, people living in cities as far-flung as Tajikistan, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Mexico should ready their binoculars and telescopes to witness this remarkable cosmic spectacle.

Origin and Scale of the Two Celestial Bodies

The star that is the focus of this extraordinary event, Betelgeuse, is a red supergiant located approximately 700 light-years from Earth in the prominent constellation Orion. It derived its name from the Arabic phrase meaning "armpit of the central one."