Venus to Vanish Behind the Moon in Rarely Visible Occultation Today
Venus will appear to vanish behind the Moon tonight, but only observers in parts of Indonesia will have a chance to witness the celestial event.
On September 14, 2026, Venus will vanish behind the Moon, a rarely seen occultation event. According to Yatny Yulianti, an astronomer from Bosscha Observatory in West Java, Indonesia, this occurrence is not uncommon, with multiple such events taking place this year. However, witnessing the event from certain locations is quite limited.
In the September 14 occultation, only observers in western and central Indonesia will be able to see it with the naked eye or using telescopes. Viewing conditions vary across the country, from excellent in the western region, particularly on Sumatra, to extremely difficult in other areas where Venus will not be visible to reappear. The event generally occurs between 19:30 and 20:43 WIB in the western sky after sunset.
Banda Aceh provides an optimal viewing location, with Venus beginning to disappear at 19:29 and reappearing at 20:41. However, as one moves south, the difficulty in spotting Venus reappearing increases. Weather conditions and low altitudes of both the Moon and Venus also pose challenges for observers.
The Bosscha Observatory plans to observe and livestream the event, involving six astronomers and a portable telescope, coordinating with over a dozen other parties across various regions in Indonesia. This collaborative effort aims to enhance Indonesia's astronomy network and provide educational value regarding celestial body positions and movements.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
