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

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