MOSCOW: The moon performed a spectacular astronomical ‘dance’ on Monday when it past three planets and a Leo constellation star as part of a rare lunar ‘occultation’.
It was a rare opportunity to see Earth’s natural satellite ‘cover’ Venus, Mars, Mercury or even one of the brightest stars in the sky, Regulus.
An occultation occurs when a planet (or an asteroid) passes between an object in the distance and the object’s observer.
According to the science publication EarthSky, the event promises to be the last time three planets are almost simultaneously occulted by the moon until 2036.
The discovery of the rings of Uranus can be credited to a 1977 occultation with a far-off star, after NASA’s Kuiper Airborne Observatory spotted the stunning feature against its brighter backdrop during the celestial event.
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