Next week, a rare celestial event will occur as an asteroid blocks the red supergiant star Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion.
Betelgeuse, usually the 10th-brightest star in the night sky, will briefly blink off Monday, Dec. 11 as the asteroid 319 Leona appears to pass in front of it from our point of view on Earth. The event, which will last only 12 seconds, will be a valuable opportunity for astronomers to create a map of the giant star's surface, which has been linked to its recent odd behavior.
