On June 17, 2026, from the West Coast of the United States, the Moon Occulted Venus during the day. I got my 8″ Schmidt-Cassegrain on it but was not able to focus my Sony camera which was attached to the telescope. So, I had to settle for a much smaller image through my 102mm Refractor. I was able to watch the entire event from the occultation to the re-emergence of Venus but my photos weren’t as good as I wanted. Nevertheless, it was fun to watch the planet disappear behind the moon. Even though Venus is three times larger than the Moon from our perspective here on earth, Venus appeared tiny next to the Moon as it disappeared and re-emerged.
The next lunar occultation of Venus visible from the contiguous United States will occur on October 10, 2029. Because the Moon and Venus have slightly tilted orbits, these alignments happen from Earth only a couple of times a year globally, but viewing it from a specific location or region is much rarer. So, I’m glad I took the time to search for the faint crescent moon during the day and the faint planet during the day and watch this occultation.
