How To Watch Venus Vanish Behind The Moon In Broad Daylight

Do yourself a favor and look up this afternoon to witness the moon passing directly in front of Venus. Known as a lunar occultation, this rare daytime event offers skywatchers across the contiguous United States, Canada, and parts of Central and South America a chance to see the planet vanish in broad daylight.

The crossover is expected to begin in the mid-afternoon, roughly between 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. EDT, depending on your precise location. For viewers in Washington, D.C. and along the East Coast, for example, Venus will slip behind the non-illuminated edge of the moon around 2:22 p.m. local time and emerge from the illuminated side about an hour and a half later. Because this occurs while the sun is still high, the deep blue afternoon sky will wash out much of the natural contrast, making the event technically challenging to see with the naked eye.

To...

Copyright of this story solely belongs to hothardware.com. To see the full text click HERE