Lunar Occultation of the magnitude 1 star Spica timed during its disappearance and reappearance using a 4-inch f/9 refractor, a Meade electronic eyepiece, an IOTA-Video Time Inserter, and a Canon ZR80 video camera recorder. The time of disappearance occurred at 8:50 pm while the reappearance occurred at 9:53 pm, as observed from the PAGASA Observatory on March 28, 2013. A lunar occultation occurs when a celestial object (like the Sun, a star, or a planet) is blocked from our view by our closest neighbor, the moon. Timing lunar occultations help astronomers refine our current knowledge of the lunar topography.
Here’s an image taken shortly after the star’s reappearance from the moon’s dark limb, captured using a 4-inch f/9 refractor and a Canon 450D DSLR, 1/500 sec exposure, ISO 400. Photo Credit: Anthony Urbano
Lunar Occultation of Spica March 28, 2013
For more images of lunar occultations, click here.
