Posted on 06/20/2026 11:55:50 AM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: Venus is now appearing on the celestial stage as Earth's brilliant evening star, performing with the Moon, other wandering planets, and bright stars in western skies. For evening sky gazers on June 17, the celestial beacon rose after sunset close by a young, slender, crescent Moon. But from some locations the Moon could be seen to occult or pass in front of Venus. And from a backyard observatory in southern British Columbia, Canada, the lunar occultation was played out in daylight. This stunning telescopic snapshot captured a scene in dramatically cloudy skies, following Venus' hour long disappearance, as the evening star emerged beyond the bright lunar limb.
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Good pic
Just finished explaining to grandkids why Venus can never be aligned with moon this way if moon was a full moon.
As the Moon is a cresent, why does Venus appear round?
Perhaps because the Moon is generally between the Earth and the Sun, an Venus is perhaps to the left and on the other side of the Sun?
Ah... the site says Venus is beyond the solar limb...
Venus looks completely round and the moon a sliver of a crescent. What does that tell us?
The sun is almost completely behind the moon (from Earth) and almost exactly in front of Venus (from earth), so Venus is on the far side of the Sun in its orbit, not the same side of the Sun we are on in our orbit. It’s something like the opening scene of “2001: A Space Odyssey” but with Venus Sun Moon Earth.
You may say, then why don’t I see the Sun? The angular size of the moon is only about half a degree from Earth. The Sun is not far out of the shot.
Wow.
Very.
That is gorgeous and also creeps me out at the same time!
“The moon? The sun! It is not moonlight now.”
“I say it is the moon that shines so bright.”
“I know it is the sun that shines so bright.”
Outstanding analysis there! Thanks, takebackaustin.
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