Occultations: When One Celestial Body Hides Another

An occultation happens when one celestial body passes directly in front of another, hiding it from view.
The most common are lunar occultations, when the Moon covers stars or planets.
Occultations help astronomers measure the positions and sizes of celestial objects.
When the Moon occults a star, the star disappears instantly, revealing details about the lunar limb.
Planetary occultations of stars can uncover atmospheres, as with Pluto in 1988.
Asteroid occultations help refine asteroid shapes, sizes, and even discover hidden moons.
Rare events include one planet occulting another, called a planetary occultation.
Occultations were once key to testing and improving star catalogs for navigation.
They remain vital for studying distant objects too faint for direct imaging.
Every occultation is a mini-cosmic eclipse, where precision timing unlocks hidden secrets of the sky.