OK, here are some timings and observations for today's occultation:
All times UTC.
| First contact of Moon with illuminated portion of Venus | 17:09:13 |
|---|---|
| Venus completely occulted by Moon | 17:09:44 |
| First reappearance of Venus | 18:43:25 |
| Venus completely visible | 18:43:50 |
As predicted in the S&T article, Venus entered and exited from behind the Moon near the center of the illuminated crescent and the center of the dark portion. The Moon was a waning crescent three days before new and Venus was gibbous phase and appeared to be a little over half-illuminated.
Both Venus and the Moon were also visible without optical aid by all observers here at work.
Orion ST90 with 10mm Vixen Lanthanum (50x)