{"id":50863,"date":"2023-11-01T10:53:53","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T10:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/a9e7d8f6-99b8-4e75-b814-60ca42e13ea3"},"modified":"2023-11-01T11:34:06","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T11:34:06","slug":"see-venus-disappear-behind-the-moon-in-a-lunar-occultation-on-9-november","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/see-venus-disappear-behind-the-moon-in-a-lunar-occultation-on-9-november\/","title":{"rendered":"See Venus disappear behind the Moon in a lunar occultation on 9 November"},"content":{"rendered":"

Venus will disappear behind the Moon, then reappear during a daylight event. <\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 01 November 2023 at 10:53 AM<\/p>

\n\n

A lunar occultation of Venus will be visible on 9 November, making for a wonderful morning spectacle.<\/p>

During this daylight event, the Moon will appear to hide Venus for a brief moment, before reappearing about an hour later.<\/p>

The lunar occultation<\/a> of Venus will begin at 09:43 UT, as viewed from the centre of the UK, with the planet reappearing at around 10:39 UT.<\/p>

For more advice, read our guide on how to calculate and observe lunar occultations<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Chart showing timings for the lunar occultation of Venus, 9 November 2023. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>

You should begin observing Venus and the Moon earlier than the time the occultation begins.<\/p>

This will enable you to appreciate the full spectacle, but will also make it easier to locate both bodies as the Sun rises.<\/p>

In this guide, we’ll reveal everything you need to know to enjoy the lunar occultation of Venus on 9 November.<\/p>

\"Lunar
Lunar occultation of Venus. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Follow Venus and the Moon<\/strong><\/h2>

Unlike the tricky daylight lunar occultation of Jupiter in May 2023<\/a>, this lunar occultation of Venus should be easier to see.\u00a0<\/p>

The Moon appears as a 15%-lit waning crescent on 9 November.<\/p>

Venus will be just past dichotomy and showing as a 58%-lit gibbous disc, 20 arcseconds across through the telescope eyepiece.<\/p>

It\u2019ll be bright too, shining at mag. \u20134.2. Given clear skies, Venus will be visible to the naked eye and easy to see through binoculars.<\/p>

The Moon\u2019s separation from the Sun at occultation time will be 46\u00b0, a reasonable distance away. <\/p>

However, caution must be exercised when looking for something while the Sun is above the horizon.<\/p>

Observing the Sun with the naked eye or through binoculars or telescope could seriously damage your eyesight. <\/p>

Ideally, place yourself in the shadow of a building or fence so that the Sun is hidden but the sky to the right of it is visible.<\/p>

\"Venus
Venus emerging from behind the Moon\u2019s bright limb during an occultation on 18 June 2007. The brightness difference between Venus and the lit portion of the Moon is striking. Credit: Pete lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Venus and the Moon timings<\/strong><\/h2>

On the morning of 9 November, from the UK\u2019s centre, the Moon rises slightly ahead of Venus at 02:38 UT<\/strong>.<\/p>

Venus appears 15 minutes later, just before 03:00 UT<\/strong>.<\/p>

Both rise above the east point on the horizon, the Moon appearing 2.7\u00b0 from Venus at this time.\u00a0<\/p>

If you can follow them in clear skies, over the course of a few hours the separation between the two reduces.<\/p>

This produces an ever more dramatic scene against the dark morning sky, the pair gaining altitude with time.<\/p>

By 05:00 UT<\/strong>, Venus appears 1.8\u00b0 from the Moon\u2019s centre, with both\u00a0 objects sitting at an altitude of around 20\u00b0.\u00a0<\/p>

\"Lunar
Lunar occultation of Venus captured by Shreya Roy, Kolkata, India, 24 March 2023. Equipment: Nikon D5600 DSLR, Nikkor 70\u2013300mm lens, Digitek tripod<\/figcaption><\/figure>

By 06:00 UT<\/strong>, the dawn twilight will be under way, but the sky will still be sufficiently dark to provide a dramatic, high-contrast background.<\/p>

Venus will now be 1.4\u00b0 from the Moon\u2019s centre, just over a degree from the edge of the lunar crescent. <\/p>

Their altitude will have increased to nearly 30\u00b0 by 06:00 UT<\/strong>.<\/p>

Sunrise occurs just before 07:30 UT<\/strong>, but if you\u2019ve been following the pair up to this point they should still be easy to see.<\/p>

The separation between Venus and the Moon\u2019s centre will be fractionally less than a degree at sunrise.<\/p>

This places the bright planet three-quarters of a degree from the Moon\u2019s edge.<\/p>

\"After
After the lunar occultation of Venus, captured by Ismaeel Moinuddin, Lahore, Pakistan, 24 March 2023 Equipment: Canon 1100D DSLR camera, Celestron PowerSeeker 70AZ refractor and mount<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Timings for the lunar occultation of Venus<\/strong><\/h2>

Timings for the lunar occultation of Venus vary slightly depending upon location.<\/p>

Viewed from the centre of the UK, the Moon\u2019s bright limb hides Venus at 09:43 UT<\/strong>.<\/p>

Venus reappears from behind the dark limb almost an hour later at around 10:39 UT<\/strong>.<\/p>

Those living in the south of the UK get the shortest occultation; those living in the north get the longest.<\/p>

Venus occultation video guide<\/strong><\/h2>

Find out more about the lunar occultation of Venus as part of our November 2023 Virtual Planetarium.<\/p>