Media Release
Mangaluru, Oct 28: On October 26, 2020, at 7.29 pm the Moon occulted the star τ Aquarius. The star located 317 light years away and is 4 times the size of the Sun, appeared ever so faint as the Moon passed in front of it. The Cosmic Hide and Seek lasted for an hour with the star visible again at 8.27 pm.
Waiting for the star to be visible again behind the Moon's glare, Atul Bhat of Poornaprajna Amateur Astronomers' Club, Udupi clicked the photo from Mangalore. The Plane passed in front of the Moon as the Moon just finished occulting the star.
In astronomy, it is called 'Transit' when an smaller object passes in front of another object in the sky. Occultation is when an object in front covers a distant object in the background. In a single frame, we have a transit of the Plane as well as the Occultation of τ Aquarii captured.