LUNAR OCCULTATION OVER BRISBANE

JUNE 7, 2009
______________

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

Over the weekend, an unscheduled lunar occultation occurred over Brisbane, Australia.



Amateur astronomer Stephen Mudge was outdoors for an stroll and had the presence of mind to snap this picture.


"I came across this rare astronomical event on the evening of June 7th.
The nearly-full Moon was neatly covered by a native brushtailed possum wandering along the telephone wires on my street."


Brushtailed possums are nocturnal marsupials common throughout Australia and Tasmania.

Their habitat ranges widely from eucalyptus forests to urban high-wires. In New Zealand, where they were introduced in 1840, the hungry creatures are widely regarded as pests--a result of too many kitchen break-ins and midnight snacks in vegetable gardens.


Could a knack for astronomy mitigate these crimes?

Mudge thinks so:

"This possum seems to be enjoying the view of the rising Moon, while its tail nicely matches that of Scorpius in the background!"