ILLUSTRATION BY GHAZALEH POURMOJIB
Low in the sky on the morning of Jan. 8, Venus and a waning crescent moon will rise in the southeast. If you look before 5:40 a.m., you may see another light near the moon — the red giant star Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius, and it is often referred to as the heart of the scorpion. Between 5:40 and 6:30 a.m., the moon will pass in front of Antares in what is referred to as an “occultation.” While astronomers generally do not interchange the terms eclipse and occultation, I don’t think anyone will fault you for calling this a Total Eclipse of the Heart of Scorpius.
Each month, Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory astronomer Eric McLaughlin spotlights a notable celestial event. For information about the observatory, visit ranchomiragelibrary.org/observatory.