Lunar occultation of planet
A lunar occultation of a planet is an astronomical event in which the moon passes in front of a planet in the sky and hides its view from us.
As a result, you will see a planet disappear behind the moon and reappear from behind the moon after some time. A lunar occultation of a planet usually lasts about an hour.
Sometimes, in a rare case, the moon passes in front of two planets simultaneously, creating a double lunar occultation of planets.
The next double lunar occultation of planets will be visible on the morning of February 13, 2056, when the 5% illuminated waning crescent moon will pass in front of Jupiter and Venus at the same time.
How often does lunar occultation of a planet happen?
A lunar occultation of a planet happens infrequently. However, when it happens, it happens in clusters in successive months (especially in the case of outer planets).
It doesn’t happen every month when the moon meets the planet in the sky because the lunar orbit is tilted 5° with respect to the ecliptic — the orbital plane of planets around the sun.
As a result, you see a close conjunction of the moon and planet every month when the moon passes below or above the ecliptic.
The lunar occultation of a planet occurs if the orbital plane of the moon and the orbital plane of a planet intersect during their conjunction.
Types of lunar occultation
A lunar occultation of a planet is visible in a small region of Earth along a contour. Now along this contour three types of lunar occultation are visible: disappearance, reappearance, and grazing occultation.
Disappearance: If you are at the beginning of the contour, you will only see a planet disappearing behind the moon. Here you will not see the planet reappearing from behind the moon.
Reappearance: If you are at the end of the contour, you will only see a planet reappearing from behind the moon. Here you will not see the planet disappearing behind the moon.
Grazing occultation: If you are along the edge of the contour, you will see the grazing occultation where the moon partially hides a planet. Here you will not see the disappearance or reappearance.
If you are within the contour, you will see both disappearance and reappearance.
Lunar occultation of Saturn on February 1
The 9% illuminated waxing crescent moon will occult or pass in front of Saturn on the evening of February 1, 2025. The occultation will be visible from northeastern Russia.
As Saturn shines well within the limit of naked-eye visibility, so the occultation will be visible through the naked eye.
Elsewhere in the world, a close conjunction of the moon and Saturn will be visible on the evening of February 1, 2025.
Lunar occultation of Mars on February 9
The 92% illuminated waxing gibbous moon will occult or pass in front of Mars on the evening of February 9, 2025. The occultation will be visible from northern Europe, Russia, China, and Greenland.
Lunar occultation of Venus on September 19
The 6% illuminated waning crescent moon will occult or pass in front of Venus on the morning of September 19, 2025. The occultation will be visible from North America, Central America, and northwestern South America.
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