Amazing Video of a Lunar Occultation
Captured on camera by astrophotographer Rafael Defavari from his location in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, this video shows the Moon passing in front of Jupiter during an occultation event on December 25, 2012. Nice work!
The video plays at 5x actual speed.
Although Jupiter appeared to be “right next to” the Moon on Christmas night from our viewpoint here on Earth, in reality the two worlds were 388 million miles (625 million km) apart. The Moon blocked the view of the giant planet for a full hour and ten minutes.
‘Tis the season for lunar occultations, too… the last one occurred on November 28, and the next will be on January 22, 2013.
See more photos of the Dec. 25 event from viewers in Brazil here.
Video credit: Rafael Defavari
Recent Posts
Enceladus’s Fault Lines are Responsible for its Plumes
The Search for Life in our Solar System leads seekers to strange places. From our…
Lunar Explorers Could Run to Create Artificial Gravity for Themselves
Few things in life are certain. But it seems highly probable that people will explore…
This is an Actual Picture of Space Debris
Space debris is a growing problem, so companies are working on ways to mitigate it.…
Insanely Detailed Webb Image of the Horsehead Nebula
Few space images are as iconic as those of the Horsehead Nebula. Its shape makes…
Binary Stars Form in the Same Nebula But Aren’t Identical. Now We Know Why.
It stands to reason that stars formed from the same cloud of material will have…
Earth Had a Magnetosphere 3.7 Billion Years Ago
We go about our daily lives sheltered under an invisible magnetic field generated deep inside…