Sky watchers across Sri Lanka will have an opportunity to witness a rare celestial event on Monday, September 14, when the Moon passes directly in front of the brilliant planet Venus, producing a lunar occultation of Venus. According to astronomical calculations, the event will be visible from Sri Lanka from approximately 5:33 p.m. to 7:01 p.m. Sri Lanka Standard Time. Venus, shining at about magnitude −4.5, will disappear behind the Moon and later reappear as the Moon moves along its orbit. The exact contact times vary slightly with the observer’s location within Sri Lanka.

The event will occur during the early evening, making it particularly interesting for observers in Sri Lanka. The Moon will be a thin waxing crescent, while Venus will appear as a bright crescent through a telescope. The occultation is caused by the Moon’s apparent motion across the sky and its passage directly between Earth and Venus. Such planetary occultations are relatively uncommon from any particular location because the Moon’s orbit is inclined to the ecliptic and the alignment required for an occultation occurs only occasionally. NASA also identifies September 14 as one of the 2026 opportunities to see Venus disappear behind the Moon from parts of Asia.

Observers in Colombo should begin preparing well before 5:30 p.m., allowing time to locate the Moon and Venus and to obtain a clear view toward the western sky. Because Venus will be close to the Sun’s position in the sky and the Sun will still be above the horizon near the beginning of the event, extreme care is required when using optical instruments; a telescope or binoculars must never be pointed anywhere near the Sun without an appropriate solar-observing setup. The event provides an excellent opportunity for astronomical observatories, schools and astronomy enthusiasts to photograph and record the apparent disappearance and subsequent reappearance of one of the brightest objects in the night sky.