You may have seen the Moon block the Sun during a solar eclipse, but have you ever seen what it does to a planet? Early Tuesday (Oct. 6) morning, skywatchers across much of eastern North America will have the opportunity to watch a crescent moon pass directly in front of Jupiter. This rare alignment will not occur again for another 11 years. During the event, known as a lunar occultation, Jupiter will disappear behind the moon for about an hour before suddenly reappearing. The occultation will be visible before dawn from much of the eastern and central US, Canada and the Caribbean, while parts of Africa will experience the event during the day, according to In-The-Sky.org. The moon will be a beautiful waning crescent, only 20% illuminated, and Jupiter will shine brightly next to it. The pair will rise together in the east early Tuesday morning and will gradually appear to get closer as the moon travels east against the background stars. Latest videos from Live Science When the occultation begins, Jupiter will remain hidden behind the moon for about an hour. No telescope will be needed to observe the disappearance and reappearance of Jupiter. However, a pair of binoculars or a small telescope will make the event much more dramatic. Through a telescope, Jupiter will appear to be a tiny disk rather than a point of light and will take about a minute to completely disappear behind the moon. An easy way to photograph the event is to use a smart telescope to obtain images of the moon. (Here’s everything you need to know about lunar photography.) You may like Below are the times when Jupiter will disappear and reappear in 10 major cities on Tuesday morning, according to the International Occultation Time Association. Chicago: 3:22-4:17 a.m. CDTAtlanta: 4:15-5:17 a.m. EDTDetroit: 4:16-5:20 a.m. EDTMiami: 4:20-5:09 a.m. EDTWashington, DC: 4:20-5:24 a.m. EDTPhiladelphia: 4:22-5:26 a.m. EDTNew York: 4:23-5:27 a.m. EDTToronto: 4:25-5:22 a.m. EDTBoston: 4:26-5:30 a.m. EDTMontreal: 4:30-5:26 a.m. EDTOutside the occultation path, Jupiter won’t disappear at all. Instead, it will appear to be brushed by the crescent moon, still a potentially spectacular sight that could produce some amazing photographs. From much of the world, the crescent moon and Jupiter will appear exceptionally close together. Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. The next lunar occultation of Jupiter visible from North America will occur on November 27, 2037, according to When The Curves Line Up.
