Lunar Occultation of Planet Venus | NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC

Lunar Occultation of Planet Venus | NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC

Venus is seen as it disappears behind the Moon at the start of occultation, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, from the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. The Moon occulted, or passed in front of, Venus for the first of three times this year.

Occultation refers to the process where a celestial body, such as a star or planet, temporarily obscures another body, allowing astronomers to study its properties.

Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River across from Virginia and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east.

Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Date: June 17, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #SolarSystem #Planets #Venus #Earth #Moon #Occultation #Astrophotography #JoelKowsky #Astrophotographers #WashingtonDC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education