occultation
noun
oc·cul·ta·tion
ˌä-(ˌ)kəl-ˈtā-shən 
1
: the state of being hidden from view or lost to notice
2
: the interruption of the light from a celestial body or of the signals from a spacecraft by the intervention of a celestial body
especially
: an eclipse of a star or planet by the moon
Examples of occultation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These include monitoring near-Earth asteroids and comets and observing asteroid occultations (when an asteroid passes in front of a star, causing its light to dim) and exoplanet transits (when a planet crosses the face of its parent star) to help confirm discoveries.
—
PCMAG, 10 Mar. 2025
The places where the occultation happens close to sunset are relatively remote.
—Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2025
One group of amateurs, known as the International Occultation Timing Association, or IOTA, often use their own telescopes and sensitive cameras to look for the sudden dimming of light from a distant star as an asteroid or comet passes in front of it — something known as an occultation.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 12 Feb. 2025
Remarkably, the rare event—called an occultation by astronomers—occurred just as Mars reached its closest to Earth since December 2022.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occultation
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PCMAG, 10 Mar. 2025
The places where the occultation happens close to sunset are relatively remote.
—Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2025
One group of amateurs, known as the International Occultation Timing Association, or IOTA, often use their own telescopes and sensitive cameras to look for the sudden dimming of light from a distant star as an asteroid or comet passes in front of it — something known as an occultation.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 12 Feb. 2025
Remarkably, the rare event—called an occultation by astronomers—occurred just as Mars reached its closest to Earth since December 2022.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occultation
Cite this Entry
“Occultation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occultation. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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