Moon Performs a Disappearing Act Tonight

The Moon will perform a bit of a disappearing act tonight with Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull.  The moon will pass in front of the star, an event also known as a lunar occultation.

This will be visible across the Southland as well the rest of the continental United States south of a line running through Vancouver, British Columbia, Fargo N.D.; and Rochester N.Y,

You won’t need a telescope to see this event.  A good pair of binoculars as the star slides behind the Moon could reveal craters, hills and valleys on the Moon’s edge however.

The moon will occult the bright star Aldebaran on March 4

Look to the west a few minutes before 9:55 p.m.  The star will disappear behind the unlit part of the crescent moon, reemerging just under an hour later.  Outside of central Alabama, check the list of cities on the International Occultation Timing Association’s page.  Times are listed in UTC there so be sure to convert to your local time zone (e.g. -6 for CST, -5 for EST)

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