occultation

1. The act of occulting or the state of being occulted.
2. Astronomy
   a. The passage of a celestial body across a line between an observer and another celestial object, as when the moon moves between Earth and the sun in a solar eclipse.
   b. The progressive blocking of light, radio waves, or other radiation from a celestial source during such a passage.
   c. An observational technique for determining the position or radiant structure of a celestial source so occulted: a lunar occultation of a quasar.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English occultacion

Origin: , from Latin occultātiō, occultātiōn-

Origin: , from occultātus

Origin: , past participle of occultāre, frequentative of occulere, to conceal; see occult