Posted on by David Dickinson

Watch the Moon Occult Vesta and Aldebaran This Weekend

The Moon occults Aldebaran last lunation on March 14th as seen from India. Image credit and copyright: Rajneesh Parashar

So, did you miss yesterday’s occultation of Venus by the Moon? It was a tough one, to be sure, as the footpath for the event crossed Europe and Asia in the daytime. Watch that Moon, though, as it crosses back into the evening sky later this week, and occults (passes in front of) the bright star Aldebaran for eastern North America and, for Hawaii-based observers, actually covers the brightest of the asteroids, 4 Vesta. Continue reading “Watch the Moon Occult Vesta and Aldebaran This Weekend”

Posted on by David Dickinson

A Challenging Daytime Occultation of Venus for Europe

Do you see it? I 2% illuminated waning 'Old Moon,' 24+ hours from New. The April 6th Moon will be about as thin. Image credit: Dave Dickinson

Sometimes, the Universe seems bent on hiding the most glorious of events right in plain sight. Just a such an event occurs next week, when the slender waning crescent Moon occults the planet Venus for observers across Europe, the United Kingdom and northern Asia. Continue reading “A Challenging Daytime Occultation of Venus for Europe”