LUNAR OCCULTATION!!! THANKSGIVING BEFORE SUNRISE!

2015-11-LunarOccultationAldebaran

In the early morning hours of Thursday, November 26, the Moon will COVER OVER the bright star Aldebaran in Taurus, as seen from the northern USA. This is called an “occultation,” from the Latin word “to hide.” (And no, it has nothing to do with “the occult”!)

Occultations are amazing events, and though common enough, it’s rare to have them at a decent hour over any particular location. Also, the time for viewing is tricky since occultations begin and end at different times in different locations. Here is a brief table of approximate times for several different locations, by no means claiming to be precise. It is strongly recommended that you go outside 10-15 beforehand and enjoy the sight of Aldebaran as a little flea on the edge of the Moon. Aldebaran will disappear at the precise moment the occultation begins, and will not reappear for some portion of an hour:

Boston MA 5:44 AM EST
Cleveland OH 5:46 AM EST
Washington DC 5:52 AM EST
Jacksonville FL 6:05 AM EST

Chicago IL 4:44 AM CST
Nashville TN 5:06 AM CST

Lincoln, NE 3:46 AM MST
Denver CO 3:52 AM MST

Portland OR 2:06 AM PST
Seattle WA 2:01 AM PST

Everyone in the southern USA, outside the zone of visibility, is encouraged to go outside and look sometime around the indicated times closest to yours. You will then see an EXTREMELY close conjunction of the Moon with Aldebaran

This link includes a map showing visibility in the northern USA and Canada, and also includes a list of disappearance and reappearance times for many locations within the zone of visibility. You will need to convert UT to your local time:

EST = UT – 5 hrs
CST = UT – 6 hrs
MST = UT – 7 hrs
PST = UT – 8 hrs

http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/bstar/1126zc692.htm

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