Viewing the Lunar Occultation of Venus

An occultation occurs when the Moon or another solar system body eclipses a celestial object. This rare astronomical phenomenon happens only a few times per year. Luckily for us, many parts of the eastern hemisphere will be able to view the lunar occultation of Venus on March 23. This means millions worldwide will have the chance to view Venus move behind the Moon and reappear on the other side, you just have to know the place and time. Read along to learn more about how you can view this incredible phenomenon yourself!

What is a Lunar Occultation?

A lunar occultation is an astronomical event in which the Moon passes in front of a celestial object, blocking its view from the Earth. This is one of two of the most extreme conjunction that can occur in our solar system. The other is a transit, which is like an occultation, but the "foreground" object is smaller than the "background" object. The diagram below is a good visualization of the science behind occultations.

Lunar occultations can occur with various celestial objects, including stars, planets, and asteroids. Astronomers use these events to study space and the solar system as they can provide valuable scientific data, such as precise measurements of the size and position of the object in occultation with the moon.

When and Where?

Experiencing any lunar occultation is a breathtaking moment anyone can enjoy, you just have to know the time and place. There are many resources on the web for when to view one; however, many are overwhelming with unnecessary information. I found that the map and chart below from In-The-Sky give you all the essential information to view this year's lunar occultation with Venus.

Sadly the western hemisphere won't be able to see this occultation; however, there will be many more in the future with other celestial bodies like Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, etc. So I suggest using this calendar to check out when you can observe the next possible lunar occultation.

How to Photograph the Lunar Occultation

Photographing a lunar occultation is challenging, though there are two routes you can take depending on your equipment. The first route is capturing Venus passing behind the entire Moon. This is the best route for someone with a DSLR with a 300mm+ focal length lens since you won't be able to get a zoomed-in shot of Venus passing over the Moon's surface. The second route is capturing a close-up image of Venus over the horizon. This is the best route for someone with a high focal length telescope (1500mm+), allowing them to capture the Moon's surface with Venus reappearing as if it was a sunrise on Earth.

Since Venus and the Moon have different apparent magnitudes, you must create an HDR photo through different exposure times to ensure each object is well-exposed. Each camera and telescope/lens is different, so you should experiment with these exposure times for the best results with your equipment. Afterward, you can combine these two images to create a beautiful photo of this phenomenon.

The photograph below was taken with a high-magnification telescope during the Venus Moon Occultation in June 2020 by Dzmitry Kananovich. He captured this HDR image by taking a time-lapse of Venus appearing over the horizon on the Moon's surface from Earth, where he combined two different exposures for the Moon and Venus, so one doesn't outshine the other.

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