We received several photos throughout the day on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, of the bright star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus the Bull, near Tuesday morning’s waning moon. Steven Bellavia wrote:
I did not know the moon and Aldebaran were going to be so close. Was it an occultation? It caught me by surprise while I was imaging deep sky objects.
Tuesday’s moon did, in fact, occult – or cover over – Aldebaran as seen from some places around the globe. Indeed, this was the 47th consecutive, monthly occultation of Aldebaran, in a series of 49. Although this occultation wasn’t widely accessible, it might have been seen by some in the Western Great Lakes region from Ontario as far west as North Dakota, Iowa, and southern Manitoba. Writing at SkyandTelescope.com, astronomer Bob King has all the details.
Thanks to all in the EarthSky community who caught this beautiful moon and star, and shared your photos!
Bottom line: Photos from the EarthSky community of the moon and star Aldebaran on July 10, 2018.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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