If you’re in the north of the UK, you’re lucky enough to be treated to a lot more celestial events than those in the south. While we might have been able to catch the majestic green comet from all over the country and could even see the Northern Lights down south for a few nights, the north is where you really want to go if you’re an astronomy buff.
And tomorrow evening, the north of Scotland and Northern Ireland will be treated to another spectacular astronomical phenomenon as the moon appears to glide in front of Jupiter, creating a ‘lunar occultation’.
The moon occults stars fairly regularly, but an eclipse of planets is much rarer. It’s so rare in fact that we won’t see a similar event happen until February 2026. Sorry, southerners – if you want to catch this event in person, you better hurry and book your train ticket now.
When will Jupiter be occulted by the moon?
The occultation will be visible in northern parts of the country between 11.30am and 3.30pm on Wednesday, May 17.
How can I watch in the UK?
Since the event happens during daylight hours, it will be a bit more of a challenge to spot. That said, it will still be visible to the naked eye as a thin crescent, so long as skies are clear.
According to Sky at Night Magazine, the best times to observe it are as follows:
Malin Head – 2.40pm-3.01pm
Glasgow – 2.42pm-3.04pm
Edinburgh – 2.44pm-3.04pm
Aberdeen – 2.39pm-3.09pm
Will there be a live stream?
Right now, there doesn’t appear to be a live stream available for the event. However, we will be keeping an eye out and updating this page if one does appear.
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