Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2026 June 20 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Daytime Moon Meets Evening Star Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Debra Ceravolo Explanation: Venus is now appearing on [5]the celestial stage as Earth's brilliant evening star, performing with the Moon, other wandering planets, and bright stars in western skies. [6]For evening sky gazers on June 17, the celestial beacon rose after sunset close by a young, slender, crescent Moon. [7]But from some locations the Moon could be seen to occult or pass in front of Venus. And from a backyard observatory in southern British Columbia, Canada, the lunar occultation was played out in daylight. This stunning telescopic snapshot captured [8]a scene in dramatically cloudy skies, following Venus' hour long disappearance, as the evening star emerged beyond the bright lunar limb. Tomorrow's picture: keogram of the sky __________________________________________________________________ [9]< | [10]Archive | [11]Submissions | [12]Index | [13]Search | [14]Calendar | [15]RSS | [16]Education | [17]About APOD | [18]Discuss | [19]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [20]Robert Nemiroff ([21]MTU) & Jerry Bonnell ([22]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [23]Specific rights apply. [24]NASA Web Privacy, [25]Accessibility, [26]Notices; A service of: [27]ASD at [28]NASA / [29]GSFC, [30]NASA Science Activation & [31]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2606/Venus_Moon_2026_06_17.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://app.astrobin.com/u/debraceravolo 5. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/whats-up-june-2026-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/ 6. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury/ 7. https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20260617_16_100 8. https://app.astrobin.com/u/debraceravolo?i=geo4yx 9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260619.html 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 13. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 15. https://apod.com/feed.rss 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 18. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260620 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260621.html 20. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/ 21. https://www.mtu.edu/physics 22. https://www.astro.umd.edu/ 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 24. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 25. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 26. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 27. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 28. https://www.nasa.gov/ 29. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 30. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 31. http://www.mtu.edu/