Rare Daytime Lunar Occultation Captured in Timelapse Video

On June 17, a rare event happened. Venus briefly disappeared behind the moon. This event was seen in the daytime across much of North America.

A video showed the moon moving in front of Venus. This made Venus hard to see for a short time. The moon blocks the view of stars and planets when it passes directly in front of them. This kind of event is called a lunar occultation.

People saw this event in the U.S., Canada, northern Mexico, and some Caribbean countries. This is unusual because many sky events happen at night.

The video showed when Venus went behind the dark side of the crescent moon. Later, Venus came back into view. Lunar occultations happen often, but it is rare for the moon to cover bright planets like Venus.

The moon moves quickly in the sky. It travels eastward at about 2,300 miles per hour. This speed allows the moon to block stars and planets from time to time. Even though Venus is much farther away, the moon looks larger from Earth. This is why it can completely cover Venus.

How much do you know?

What event occurred on June 17?

Venus vanished completely

Venus disappeared behind the moon

A lunar eclipse

The moon appeared larger than Venus

Which countries witnessed the event of Venus disappearing behind the moon?

USA, UK, and Japan

U.S., Canada, northern Mexico, and some Caribbean countries

Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica

India, China, and South Africa

What is a lunar occultation?

The moon orbiting Earth

When the moon blocks the view of stars and planets

A solar eclipse

The moon being visible during daytime

How does the moon appear from Earth compared to Venus?

Smaller

Larger

Equal in size

Invisible

At what speed does the moon travel eastward?

1,500 miles per hour

2,300 miles per hour

1,000 miles per hour

3,000 miles per hour

Why is it unusual for lunar occultations to cover bright planets like Venus?

They happen only at night

The moon doesn't often cover bright planets

It is common for the moon to block everything

Bright planets are closer to Earth

Venus can be seen behind the crescent moon during the daytime.

True False

Lunar occultations occur frequently at night.

True False

The moon moves too slowly to block bright planets like Venus.

True False

North America experienced the lunar occultation event on June 17.

True False

Venus is closer to Earth than the moon.

True False

The moon can completely cover Venus from our perspective on Earth.

True False

The event of Venus disappearing behind the moon is called a lunar .

The moon blocks the view of stars and planets when it passes directly in front of and planets.

Venus went behind the dark side of the crescent before coming back into view.

The moon travels eastward at about miles per hour.

This phenomenon is unusual because many sky events happen at time.

The moon looks from Earth, allowing it to cover bright planets.

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