Rare celestial event: Moon hides the star Regulus tonight
罕見天文現象:今晚月掩軒轅十四
Tonight, astronomy enthusiasts have the chance to witness a rare and fascinating celestial event: a lunar occultation of the star Regulus.
今晚,天文愛好者有機會目睹一場罕見且迷人的天文現象:獅子座α星(軒轅十四)的月掩星現象。
This occurs when the Moon passes directly in front of the bright star, temporarily hiding it from view.
當月球直接運行到這顆明亮恆星的前方,並暫時將其遮擋時,此現象便會發生。
Unlike sunsets, where light fades slowly, the lack of a lunar atmosphere causes Regulus to vanish instantly, like a light switch being turned off.
與日落時光線緩慢消逝不同,由於月球缺乏大氣層,軒轅十四會像電燈開關被關掉一樣瞬間消失。
Regulus, the 'Heart of the Lion' in the constellation Leo, is a massive blue-white star located 79 light-years away.
軒轅十四被稱為獅子座的「獅子之心」,是一顆位於79光年外的巨大藍白色恆星。
Because the Moon is relatively close to Earth, this event is highly location-specific.
因為月球距離地球相對較近,所以此現象具有極高的地域性。
For the best experience, experts recommend using binoculars or a small telescope to watch the star disappear behind the Moon’s dark leading edge and reappear at the bright trailing edge.
為了獲得最佳觀測體驗,專家建議使用雙筒望遠鏡或小型天文望遠鏡,觀察該恆星消失在月球陰暗的前緣後,並再度出現在明亮的後緣。
If you are positioned at the very edge of the visibility path, you might even witness a 'flickering' effect caused by the Moon's rugged craters.
如果你剛好位於可視範圍的邊緣,甚至還能目睹由於月球凹凸不平的環形山所引發的「閃爍」效應。
Check local astronomical resources to see if this spectacular 'star and crescent' pairing is visible from your region tonight.
請查詢當地的天文資訊,看今晚你的地區是否能看到這場壯觀的「星月伴隨」景象。
