Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Moon Occludes Venus June 17, First US Daytime Event Since 2015

6/18/2026

50 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Moon Occults Venus

The Moon will occult Venus on June 17, 2026, hiding the planet for an hour across the United States.
In Newark it occurs 3:53 p.m.–5:10 p.m. EDT while in Phoenix it runs 11:50 a.m.–12:55 p.m. MST.
The Moon, an 11 % crescent 38° from the Sun, makes Venus appear at magnitude -4.0 and requires staying in shadows and avoiding pointing optics at the Sun.
It is the first U.S. daytime occultation since Dec. 7, 2015, with the next in 2029.

Summary

Moon Highlights June

June 21, 2026 marks the solstice at 08:24 GMT, the longest Northern Hemisphere day.
The June Bootids peak on June 22, 2026 at 01:00 GMT as the waxing Moon will hide them.
The Moon will occult Regulus on June 19-20 for African observers while it also covers part of the Beehive Cluster (M44) for eastern North America.
June 29, 2026’s Full Moon is the Strawberry Moon, rising at 7:57 p.m. EDT.

History

Historical Context

The 1919 total solar eclipse on 29 May 1919 let Arthur Eddington’s teams on Príncipe and Sobral measure a 1.75-arcsecond starlight deflection, confirming Einstein’s general relativity. That breakthrough established eclipses as tests of fundamental physics. Today, NASA, the International Astronomical Union and amateur observers coordinate 2026 lunar occultations of Venus and Regulus, echoing the 1919 legacy.

1 of 3

Moon Occults Venus

The Moon will occult Venus on June 17, 2026, hiding the planet for an hour across the United States.
In Newark it occurs 3:53 p.m.–5:10 p.m. EDT while in Phoenix it runs 11:50 a.m.–12:55 p.m. MST.
The Moon, an 11 % crescent 38° from the Sun, makes Venus appear at magnitude -4.0 and requires staying in shadows and avoiding pointing optics at the Sun.
It is the first U.S. daytime occultation since Dec. 7, 2015, with the next in 2029.

1 / 3