Earthmoon occults Planet Venus on daylight sky

Friday, June 19, 2020

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On Friday June 19, 2020, the earth's moon will occult the planet Venus in the bright daytime sky. In the Woodquarter region the occultation begins in the southeast sky at about 56 degrees of the horizon. In Austria it is a total occultation of Venus. About 228 kilometers away in the Mediterranean sea, the planet disk of Venus would only slide along the southern limb of the moon.

The planet disappears behind the bright side of the moon disk at 10h05 CEST and reappears on the dark edge of the moon about 36 minutes later at 10h41 CEST. At this time the sun is about 50 degrees above the south-east horizon and only 22 degrees from the moon. The waning moon is visible in a narrow sickle shape two days before the new moon and is only 3.9% illuminated.

On this day, the planet disc of Venus with an apparent diameter of 51 arcseconds appears to be only 7.8% illuminated by the sun and is therefore visible in a similar sickle shape as the moon in the telescope.

This occultation will probably not be observable with the naked eye even with a clear sky view. The distance of only 22 degrees to the sun is too small for this. Under no circumstances should you look into the sun when using optical devices. The immediate destruction of the eye would be the consequence.

Data table for Venus occultation in Woodquarter (all times in UTC)
Occultation prediction for Nonndorf MPC station C47, Austria
E. Longitude   15 14  8.4,  Latitude  48 47 13.5,  Alt.  550m;

       day  Time     P   Star  Sp  Mag  Mag    % Elon Sun  Moon   CA   PA  VA  AA Libration   A   B   RV    Cct durn  R.A. (J2000)  Dec   Mdist   SV
 y   m  d  h  m   s       No  D     v    r V  ill     Alt Alt Az   o    o   o   o   L    B   m/o m/o  "/s     o  sec  h  m   s    o  m  s   Mm   m/s
20 Jun 19  8  7 20.4 D Venus      -4.4 -4.4    4-  23  48 56 145 -35S 129 153 138 -3.8 +3.3 +2.8-1.8 .184  -62.7      4 17 29.1  18 31  9 390.1 762.2
   Venus contacts: Dark limb  8  5  0; Cusp  8  5 26; Bright limb  8  9 41: diam = 51.8"; %illum = 8.2%; PA bright limb = 73.3
20 Jun 19  8 21 35   GrVenus      -4.4 -4.4    4-  23  51 60 ** GRAZE: CA -9.1S; Dist.228km in az. 146deg. [Lat = 46.32+0.44(E.Long-15.24)]
20 Jun 19  8 43 18.5 R Venus      -4.4 -4.4    4-  23  53 59 160  20S 182 198 193 -3.9 +3.2 +0.1+4.7 .180 -117.2      4 17 29.1  18 31  9 389.8 744.8
   Venus contacts: Dark limb  8 40 55; Cusp  8 41  2; Bright limb  8 45 42: diam = 51.8"; %illum = 8.2%; PA bright limb = 73.3