Did You See? The Planetary Occultation On the 1st Of December 2008

For those of you who did not see the planetary occultation on the 1st December 2008 you will have to wait another 40 years before being able to see it again, but fortunately here's a brilliant photo taken by one of my best friends Jacques Barnard. This was taken in South Africa, Cape Town.

Description: Jupiter and her rings in the background with Venus below.

Info: In the darkening twilight, Venus will appear like a bright "star" emerging and detaching itself from the crescent Moon which will probably show "earthshine" on its dark side - a phenomenon known as "the old moon in the young moon's arms". The pair will then make a dazzling pattern with another bright planet, Jupiter, above the south-western horizon - itself a rare event called a conjunction.


The Moon's cover-up of Venus begins in daylight. Venus will then lie just to the left of the Moon and may be seen even with the naked eye as it is so bright. But the reappearance of Venus will be even easier to spot because of the darker sky. (Warning: Do not try to find it in binoculars or a telescope without first hiding the Sun behind a building and don't allow anyone else to risk pointing the instrument at the Sun and being blinded.)

The lunar cover-up is similar to a solar eclipse except that it is Venus being hidden instead of the Sun. A conjunction between these bright planets and the Moon is unusual enough but the occultation makes this event extra special. It will be a spectacular sight in the twilight sky, if clouds stay away, and a great opportunity to get out your camera.