Lunar occultation of a planet
A lunar occultation of a planet is an astronomical event in which the moon passes in front of the planet in the sky and hides it from view.
As a result, a planet appears to disappear behind the moon and reappears after some time. A lunar occultation of a planet usually lasts about an hour.
In rare cases, the moon passes in front of two planets simultaneously, creating a double lunar occultation.
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 a lunar occultation of a planet occur?
A lunar occultation of a planet occurs infrequently. However, when it does, such events tend to occur in clusters over successive months, especially in the case of the outer planets.
It does not happen every month when the moon meets a planet in the sky because the lunar orbit is tilted by about 5° with respect to the ecliptic—the orbital plane of the planets around the sun.
As a result, you see a close conjunction of the moon and the planet each month when the moon passes below or above the ecliptic.
A lunar occultation of a planet occurs when the orbital plane of the moon and the orbital plane of a planet intersect during their conjunction.
June 17, 2026: Lunar occultation of Venus
The lunar occultation of Venus will occur on June 17, 2026, when an 11% illuminated waxing crescent moon passes in front of Venus. The event will be visible in daylight from the contiguous United States, southern Canada, northern Mexico, and the Caribbean, and in the evening from northeastern South America. The moment of greatest occultation will occur at 20:21 UTC (4:21 p.m. EDT).
October 6, 2026: Lunar occultation of Jupiter
The lunar occultation of Jupiter will be visible on October 6, 2026, when the 19% illuminated waning crescent moon passes in front of Jupiter. The greatest occultation will occur at 10:16 UTC (6:16 a.m. EDT). It will be visible from parts of the United States (in the early morning), Canada (in the early morning), Mexico (in the early morning), and Africa (in the daytime).
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