EAGLED-eyed Worcestershire people spotted a rare astronomical event this week when it appeared as though a star was hanging from the bottom of the new moon.

Anyone looking skyward from 3.30pm to 5.30pm on Monday might have seen the occultation of Venus, which happens about once every eight years.

Great Witley resident Tony Quarterman contacted your Worcester News to tell us he had seen something unusual in the sky but he did not know what it was.

According to Chris Livingstone, chairman of the Astronomical Society of Worcester, the occultation of Venus happens when the moon eclipses Venus and as the planet starts to reappear from behind the moon it looks as though the two are joined.

He said: “It is a natural phenomenon that happens from time to time and happens to a number of planets. The next time it will occur will be in 2016. Occasionally Venus goes in front of the sun and that is called a transit of Venus.

Then you see the sun as its usual disc and there is a black spot on it which is the silhouette of Venus.

“I looked all afternoon for the occultation of Venus and I had my camera set up to take photographs but all I saw was cloud. The weather got in the way. The man who rang you was a lucky man. He saw it after it had finished but he saw it when Venus appeared very close to the moon.

“If you look up you can see a lot with the naked eye and even more with a small telescope.”