occultation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A stellar occultation occurs when an asteroid passes directly in front of a distant star, briefly blocking its light.

From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026

During the occultation, the Moon passed in front of the planet Mars, which allowed the photographer to capture both objects together.

From BBC • Sep. 14, 2023

Dhillon added that other than occultation events, the only way to spot these dwarf planet rings would be to send a robotic probe to visit them.

From Scientific American • Feb. 11, 2023

In 2017, a ring was discovered around another Kuiper belt object, Haumea, also from dimming during a stellar occultation.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2023

He periodically checked their accuracy by taking a kind of astronomical reading called an occultation.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong