From Digital Camera World · · 1m 10s
Venus Disappears Behind Moon in Award-Winning Photo
Photographer captures Venus vanishing behind Moon for bright pearl effect, winning major astrophotography award.
In brief
Photographer captures Venus vanishing behind Moon for bright pearl effect, winning major astrophotography award. Czech astrophotographer Petr Horalek won ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year for capturing Venus disappearing behind the Moon during a lunar occultation in September 2025. Originally reported by Digital…
Lunar Occultation of Venus
Czech astrophotographer Petr Horalek captured Venus disappearing behind the Moon during a rare lunar occultation in September 2025.
“The most beautiful moment was when Venus had just started to disappear behind the crescent.”
Bright Pearl Effect
Horalek described the planet as a 'bright pearl on the lunar limb' during the final moments of the occultation.
“It looked like a bright pearl on the lunar limb.”
Technical Setup
Using a Sky-Watcher 10' FlexTube Dobsonian telescope, Nikon Z6 III, f/5, ISO 250, and multiple 1/8000sec exposures.
Location and Timing
The image was taken in Ústupky, Seč, Pardubice Region, Czechia on September 19, 2025.
Challenging Conditions
Horalek noted the difficulty of capturing both Venus and the Moon while achieving the perfect exposure during the occultation.
“It was a big challenge to find both objects in the sky and produce good shots of this unusual view.”
Perfect Weather
The weather conditions were ideal, allowing Horalek to complete the capture despite the technical challenges.
“Fortunately, the weather was perfect and I was able to do it.”
Award Recognition
Horalek won the 'Our Moon' category at the 2026 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.
The bottom line
Czech astrophotographer Petr Horalek won ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year for capturing Venus disappearing behind the Moon during a lunar occultation in September 2025.
