occultation

American  

[ok-uhl-tay-shuhn] / ˌɒk ʌlˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. Astronomy. the passage of one celestial body in front of another, thus hiding the other from view: applied especially to the moon's coming between an observer and a star or planet.

2. disappearance from view or notice.

3. the act of blocking or hiding from view.

4. the resulting hidden or concealed state.

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occultation British  

/ ˌɒkʌlˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the temporary disappearance of one celestial body as it moves out of sight behind another body

2. the act of occulting or the state of being occulted

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Other Word Forms

• preoccultation
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of occultation

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin occultātiōn- (stem of occultātiō ) a hiding, equivalent to occultāt ( us ) (past participle of occultāre to conceal, keep something hidden, frequentative of occulere; see occult) + -iōn- -ion

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

occultation

The occultation will be visible from parts of the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Venezuela.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026

Ethan Chappel captured this image, from Cibolo, Texas, USA, of an occultation of Mars that took place on 8 December 2022.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 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

Gazers in Washington will not see the occultation, but places far to the south — such as Florida — will see it after midnight Jan. 31, according to IOTA.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 30, 2022

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

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