SHARJAH, 15th September, 2026 (WAM) — The Sharjah Space and Astronomy Hub (SSAH), part of the University of Sharjah, brought astronomers, students and space enthusiasts together to observe a striking daytime celestial event: Venus slipping behind the crescent moon.
The event was organised as part of the academy’s continuing efforts to strengthen scientific literacy and make astronomy and space science accessible to the wider community.
Participants observed the phenomenon through modern astronomical equipment, explored it through digital simulations and received live scientific explanations of the event.
A lunar occultation occurs when the Moon passes in front of Venus from the perspective of an observer on Earth, temporarily concealing it before the planet emerges again from behind the Moon’s disk.
The Venus occultation carried particular observational interest because it unfolded during daylight hours.
The Moon appeared as a waxing crescent, while Venus, one of the brightest objects in the sky, remained visible under the right observing conditions.
Using advanced telescopes and astronomical observation systems, participants followed the event from Venus’s disappearance behind the Moon at 14:37 until its reappearance at 15:57.
The occultation lasted approximately one hour and 20 minutes, giving attendees an opportunity to watch and document each stage through telescopes while gaining a firsthand understanding of how such alignments occur and how astronomers observe them.
The event also included an immersive scientific presentation inside the Sharjah Planetarium Dome.
Through illustrated explanations and astronomical simulations, the programme traced Venus’s passage behind the Moon, from its disappearance to its return, while introducing visitors to the planet’s defining characteristics and the movements that govern the apparent paths of celestial bodies.
By combining direct observation with accessible scientific interpretation, the academy transformed a brief alignment in the afternoon sky into a vivid lesson in the mechanics and wonder of the solar system.
Source: Emirates News Agency