06/15/2026
This Wednesday June 17th will present a really interesting observing opportunity; a daytime lunar occultation of Venus!
An occultation is simply when one celestial body passes in front of another, in this case the moon passing in front of Venus, from our perspective.
Starting around 3:32 in the afternoon, the moon will pass right in front of Venus, blocking it from our view. Venus will disappear behind the dark edge of the moon’s disk, before reappearing on the bright Eastern limb right around 5:00PM
Although challenging, it is possible to see the planets in the daytime if you have binoculars or a telescope, and you know exactly where to look. This occultation provides us an opportunity to easily spot Venus in the daytime, as the moon provides an easy to find reference point to locate it.
Look high in the sky for the waxing crescent moon in the mid afternoon for this really interesting occultation.
We’ll hope for clear skies on Wednesday and a few CAS members are looking forward to photographing it. Let us know if you’re able to spot it.
