Watch: Rare daylight sighting of Venus crescent captured over UAE skies

Abu Dhabi: In a rare astronomical event, the Al Khatm Astronomical Observatory, located in the Abu Dhabi desert, successfully captured the crescent of Venus in broad daylight on Sunday, March 23, 2025. This remarkable sight was made possible during a celestial alignment known as the inferior conjunction.

The event occurred at 9:18 am UAE time, when Venus positioned itself between Earth and the Sun. While the planet would theoretically appear as a small black dot crossing the solar disc, its orbital tilt placed it 8.4 degrees away from the Sun. As a result, it appeared as a delicate crescent, similar to the phases of the Moon.

Using the observatory’s 14-inch main telescope, astronomers managed to photograph this fleeting moment despite cloudy and intermittently rainy weather conditions. The crescent-shaped Venus was visible for only a few minutes through narrow breaks in the clouds—just long enough to document the phenomenon.

Venus, often referred to as Earth’s sister planet, exhibits phases much like the Moon, transitioning from new to crescent, half, gibbous, and full, depending on its position relative to Earth and the Sun. Observing these phases, especially in daylight, is a rare feat that requires expert timing and sophisticated equipment.

The image and footage were captured by Engineer Mohammad Shawkat Odeh, Director of the Al Khatm Astronomical Observatory, with support from observatory team members Engineer Khalfan Al Nuaimi, Engineer Osama Ghannam, Engineer Anas Mohammad, and Engineer Sameh Al Ashi.