This past Thursday, April 23, skywatchers were treated to a special event: the moon occulting (hiding) Venus. During the early morning hours (exact time depending on location) the crescent moon passed across Venus, obscuring it from Earth’s view.

This image was taken by David Cortner, a photographer in North Carolina. It shows a large-scale moon with Venus’ shining crescent, just about to be covered, in the blue-grey morning light. Click for a full resolution version.

This image was selected as NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for the following Friday. Amazing shot David!

Image © David Cortner. All rights reserved. Used with permission.