Sigma Scorpii (known as Alniyat) is a multi star system in the constellation of Scorpius. To the naked eye, it looks like one star and is located near the red supergiant star, Antares. On the evening of 26th April, Alniyat will disappear behind our Moon.
The star will begin to be occulted by the Moon at 11.49pm on 26th April, and will reappear at 1.06am on 27th April. This lunar occultation may be a little difficult to see with the naked eye, as the Moon will be quite bright and this may affect the view.
Use the above image as a guide. Astronomical images provided by SkySafari, a Simulation Curriculum Company, All rights reserved www.simulationcurriculum.com.
When and where to look:
11.49pm to 1.06am, 26/27th of April above the eastern horizon.
Something Interesting:
The International Occultation Timing Association (IOTA) exists to encourage, promote and facilitate the observation of occultations and eclipses, as well as providing predictions for occultations of stars by the moon and occultations of stars by asteroids and planets. Check out the Trans Tasman Occultation Alliance (IOTA’s Australasian section) for info on occultation observing across New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific.