Waning Crescent Moon Occults Jupiter Before Dawn Tuesday
Source Analysis
What Happened
What Happened
Where Sources Agree
- arrows_inputLunar Occultation Event Details: Coverage documents that the waning crescent moon will occult Jupiter on Tuesday, obscuring the planet for approximately one hour across much of North America, according to astronomical reports.
- arrows_inputViewing and Imaging Guidelines: Outlets concur on viewing and imaging recommendations for the lunar occultation of Jupiter, noting that while visible to the naked eye, observers can use binoculars or telescopes for detail and cameras for photography, according to observational guidance.
Where Sources Disagree
- arrows_outputOccultation Frequency Estimates: Sources differ on the frequency of this lunar occultation event; some outlets describe it as a once-in-a-decade occurrence, while others report that such alignments happen on average every 13 years.
- arrows_outputMoon Illumination Discrepancy: Reports differ slightly on the moon's illumination percentage, with some sources citing 20% while others report 14%.
Timeline
November 27, 2037 Upcoming
Rarity and next occurrence: Reports noted the occultation is a relatively rare event (occurring on average about every 13 years) and that the next lunar occultation of Jupiter visible from North America will occur on November 27, 2037.
October 6, 2026
Visibility and regional differences: The event was visible before dawn across much of the eastern and central U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and parts of Africa, while observers in the central and western U.S. often saw only Jupiter's reappearance (around 3:00 a.m. MDT); some regions saw a partial occultation where the Moon grazed Jupiter's disk.
October 6, 2026
Occultation timing and duration: The lunar occultation began around 4:20 a.m. EDT on October 6, 2026, with Jupiter hidden behind the Moon for roughly an hour and reappearing about 5:24 a.m.; the planet rises shortly after 2:30 a.m. local daylight time and the Moon passes roughly 0.2° north of Jupiter.
Summary by Ground AI
Sources
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Source Analysis
Timeline
November 27, 2037 Upcoming
Rarity and next occurrence: Reports noted the occultation is a relatively rare event (occurring on average about every 13 years) and that the next lunar occultation of Jupiter visible from North America will occur on November 27, 2037.
October 6, 2026
Visibility and regional differences: The event was visible before dawn across much of the eastern and central U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and parts of Africa, while observers in the central and western U.S. often saw only Jupiter's reappearance (around 3:00 a.m. MDT); some regions saw a partial occultation where the Moon grazed Jupiter's disk.
October 6, 2026
Occultation timing and duration: The lunar occultation began around 4:20 a.m. EDT on October 6, 2026, with Jupiter hidden behind the Moon for roughly an hour and reappearing about 5:24 a.m.; the planet rises shortly after 2:30 a.m. local daylight time and the Moon passes roughly 0.2° north of Jupiter.