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
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      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/