The Moon Is Set to 'Swallow' Star Regulus: Can You Catch The Celestial Show?
According to NASA, this parallax effect can cause the moon's apparent position in the sky to vary by as much as 2 degrees from different vantage points on Earth.
New Delhi: Skywatchers across parts of the Pacific are in for a celestial treat tonight (May 23) as the moon passes directly in front of the brilliant star Regulus, briefly blocking its light in an event known as a lunar occultation.
For observers in other regions, the pair will put on an equally stunning show as they glide through the constellation Leo, with the star appearing to brush exceptionally close to the edge of the lunar disk.
Why Isn't It Visible Everywhere?
Orbiting at an average distance of 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers), the moon is close enough to Earth to cause a phenomenon called “parallax viewing”- where an object’s position against its background appears to shift depending on the observer's location.
According to NASA, this parallax effect can cause the moon's apparent position in the sky to vary by as much as 2 degrees from different vantage points on Earth.
The Lucky Skywatchers
According to the astronomy guide In-The-Sky, stargazers across Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and several other Pacific island nations will witness the dark, shadowed edge of the half-lit moon move directly in front of Regulus during the early hours of May 23, completely blocking the star's light.
From Sydney, Australia, the brilliant blue-white light of Regulus will appear to graze the upper edge of the lunar disk just after sunset. The star will then seem to skirt along the moon's sunlit side before finally setting beneath it shortly before midnight.
For viewers in the U.S., the best look at the cosmic duo comes overnight from May 22 to 23 as the moon moves toward Regulus across the late-spring sky.
Although the actual occultation won't be visible there, the moon and Regulus will draw incredibly close- separated by about 1 degree, or roughly the width of a pinky finger held at arm's length- by the time they sink below the western horizon in the early hours of May 23.
Published By : Amrita Narayan
Published On: 23 May 2026 at 08:17 IST