Careful skywatchers across the U.S. and much of Canada will have a rare chance this Wednesday, June 17, to witness a striking daytime astronomy event as the crescent moon passes directly in front of Venus for around an hour.
The event, known as a lunar occultation of Venus, will see the bright planet disappear behind the moon’s dark edge before reappearing roughly an hour later. It marks the first time in 11 years that this type of daylight occultation of Venus has been visible over the U.S. It will also be seen in Canada, Brazil and Venezuela, according to In-The-Sky.org. However, care will be needed when pointing binoculars while the sun is in the sky.
Here’s everything you need to know about the daylight occultation of Venus on June 17, 2026 — and how to stay safe.
How To Watch The Venus Occultation Safely
Unlike many celestial events that require dark skies, this one happens in broad daylight. According to Dr. Tony Phillips at Spaceweather.com, the best way to see it will be to “go outside under the blue sky and stand in the shadow of a building. Scan the blue sky with binoculars until you find the moon’s pale crescent.” At the time of the occultation, the moon will be just 11%-lit and about 38 degrees from the sun. Standing in a shadow is a good way to avoid pointing binoculars at the sun, which can cause immediate and permanent eye damage.
Once you’ve found them using binoculars, says Phillips, you’ll probably be able to see the moon and Venus with the naked eye. “Find the moon and look just to its left for a spark of white light glimmering against the blue sky,” says Bob King on Sky & Telescope. “Or if you’d prefer, pull out a pair of binoculars and point it at the moon. For an hour or two on either side of the occultation, Venus will shine close to the moon in the same field of view.” Remember, never aim binoculars, telescopes, or any optical equipment near the sun. Doing so can cause immediate and permanent eye damage.
Exactly When To Look For The Lunar Occultation Of Venus
The event will begin with Venus disappearing behind the dark limb of the crescent moon and end when it reappears beside the bright crescent. Those two moments are what skywatchers will be waiting for.
Although it’s visible across the entire contiguous U.S. and much of Canada, the exact timing for any observer depends on their exact location. Exhaustive times for various places are listed by the International Occultation Timing Association, though in universal time (use a timezone converter).
Along the East Coast of the U.S., the occultation begins around 4:00 p.m. EDT, while on the West Coast, the event starts around 11:40 a.m. PDT. Here are some exact times for 10 sample cities in the U.S. from east to west:
- Newark, New Jersey: 3:53:21 p.m.–5:10:27 p.m. EDT (1 hour, 17 minutes, 6 seconds)
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 3:51:21 p.m.–5:11:19 p.m. EDT (1 hour, 19 minutes, 58 seconds)
- Chicago, Illinois: 2:24:49 p.m.–3:50:09 p.m. CDT (1 hour, 25 minutes, 20 seconds)
- Houston, Texas: 2:29:27 p.m.–3:36:04 p.m. CDT (1 hour, 6 minutes, 37 seconds)
- Dallas, Texas: 2:18:13 p.m.–3:34:35 p.m. CDT (1 hour, 16 minutes, 22 seconds)
- Fort Worth, Texas: 2:17:54 p.m.–3:33:58 p.m. CDT (1 hour, 16 minutes, 4 seconds)
- San Antonio, Texas: 2:26:06 p.m.–3:23:53 p.m. CDT (57 minutes, 47 seconds)
- Phoenix, Arizona: 11:50:54 a.m.–12:55:07 p.m. MST (1 hour, 4 minutes, 13 seconds)
- San Diego, California: 11:44:10 a.m.–12:43:14 p.m. PDT (59 minutes, 4 seconds)
- Los Angeles, California: 11:40:38 a.m.–12:44:07 p.m. PDT (1 hour, 3 minutes, 29 seconds)
Why To Come Back After Sunset
Whether or not you see the rare occultation, come back about an hour after sunset and look west for the beautiful sight of a 12%-lit waxing crescent moon and three bright planets. The moon will have moved slightly away from Venus, with Jupiter and Mercury below.
Put your binoculars on the crescent moon once again, and behind it, you’ll see a flurry of stars. That’s the Beehive Cluster (also called M44 and Praesepe), in the constellation Cancer, an open cluster of around 1,000 stars.
The Virtual Telescope Project will livestream images of the “planet parade,” the crescent moon and the Beehive Cluster via robotic telescopes in Italy, beginning at 19:45 UTC (3:45 p.m. EDT).
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
