Lunar occultation of Venus in September 2026
When it occurs: A lunar occultation of Venus will occur on September 14, 2026, when the 12% illuminated waxing crescent moon passes directly in front of the planet. As a result, Venus will disappear behind the dark lunar limb and reappear to the right of the bright lunar crescent about an hour later.
Visibility: The occultation will be visible in daylight from much of Europe, northeastern Africa, the Middle East, and at dusk from southern Asia.
For observers outside the occultation path, a close conjunction of the moon and Venus will be visible on the evening of September 14, 2026.
The exact timing of the occultation depends on your location. Here are the disappearance and reappearance times for selected cities. All times are local.
| City | Disappearance | Reappearance |
|---|---|---|
| London (U.K.) | Not visible | 11:34 a.m. |
| Paris (France) | Not visible | 12:34 p.m. |
| Madrid (Spain) | Not visible | 12:21 p.m. |
| Berlin (Germany) | 11:36 a.m. | 12:40 p.m. |
| Rome (Italy) | 11:27 a.m. | 12:38 p.m. |
| Istanbul (Turkey) | 12:39 p.m. | 1:55 p.m. |
| Jerusalem (Israel) | 12:46 p.m. | 2:12 p.m. |
| Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) | 1:00 p.m. | 2:33 p.m. |
| Dubai (UAE) | 2:36 p.m. | 3:58 p.m. |
| Kolkata (India) | 5:49 p.m. | 6:24 p.m. |
How to see: Currently, Venus is very bright, shining at magnitude –4.4. It is relatively easy to spot in a clear blue sky as long as you know exactly where to look. In this instance, the nearby moon makes it even easier to spot. Find the crescent moon first and look to its left for a white dot—which is Venus—shining against the blue sky about an hour or two before the occultation.
You can use a pair of binoculars or a telescope to closely monitor the event. Through a telescope, Venus will appear 29% illuminated waning crescent and 36.7″ across—about 50 times smaller than the moon. For viewers in Berlin, the lunar limb touches the planet at 11:36 a.m. local time and takes about 50 seconds to completely cover the illuminated portion.
During the occultation, the moon and Venus will lie about 41° east of the sun, so you should be extra cautious when pointing your optics toward them. Never point your optics toward the sun unless you are using a proper solar filter. Looking at or near the sun without a proper solar filter can cause permanent eye damage. To view the occultation safely, place your telescope in the shadow of a building or tree so that the sun is blocked.
Lunar occultation of Venus in 2026
Here are the dates of lunar occultations of Venus in 2026:
| Date of occultation | Visibility |
|---|---|
| June 17, 2026 | Much of North America and northeastern South America |
| September 14, 2026 | Parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia |
| November 7, 2026 | Southern South America and Antarctica |
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