A lunar occultation of the planet Venus will be visible on the morning of April 7, the day before the April 8 solar eclipse.
This means that on the morning of April 7, the delicate 1%-lit waning crescent Moon will occult Venus as seen from parts of the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Venus will disappear behind the Moon from our perspective on Earth, before reemerging out the other side.
Lunar occultations occur when the Moon appears to pass in front of a planet, star, comet or asteroid.
April 7 Venus occultation timings
The Venus occultation will be visible across eastern parts of the contiguous United States, along with eastern Mexico and eastern Canada, as well as the southern tip of Greenland.
It will not be visible from the UK, Ireland or continental Europe, as both the Moon and Venus will have set for observers during the time of occultation.
Timings for the occultation vary depending on your location, but it will occur roughly over a 1-hour period between 16:00 - 18:00 UTC (12:00 - 14:00 EDT).
You can find timings for the April Venus lunar occultation for your location in the USA using our map below.
Remember: as this is a daytime event, you must be careful not to observe the Sun with the naked eye, and especially not with unfiltered optical equipment.
It could prove quite a challenge, with the Sun nearby and Venus occulting a very slim crescent Moon.
A good technique could be to position yourself so that a tall building or other structure is blocking out the Sun from your view, making the experience more comfortable and safer.
As is always the case with daytime events where the Sun is involved: if in doubt about your own safety, do not attempt to view.
If you do manage to observe the Venus occultation, let us know how you got on by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
