Dictionary term
Occultation
Direct answer
Occultation: An Occultation occurs when a nearer celestial body passes in front of a more distant object and temporarily hides it from an observer.
An Occultation is the temporary hiding of one celestial object by another.
An Occultation is the temporary hiding of one celestial object by another.
A scientific orientation to scale, light, or motion; the article supplies the precise definition.Quick reference
- Use when
- Use Occultation with the bodies involved, visibility path, exact times, observing location, and safe equipment guidance.
- Do not use it for
- Do not publish one universal event time or visibility claim without checking the observer's location.
- Reference category
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Related terms
- Astronomy, Skywatching, Celestial Sphere, Ecliptic
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The story behind Occultation
Timed occultations have long supported positional astronomy and have helped astronomers refine or discover physical properties of distant objects.
Occultation in spiritual tradition
Occultations show how perspective and alignment can briefly change what is visible without changing what exists.
Occultation: fact and faith, kept distinct
This is a factual astronomy, calendar, Earth-science, cultural, or historical reference. It can support wonder at the created order without becoming a claim of fate, worship, or private revelation.
Occultation in numerology
Occultation is not a numerology claim. Any numbers attached to it should retain their ordinary scientific, calendrical, navigational, or historical meaning unless a separate symbolic interpretation is clearly labeled.
Why Occultation matters
Occultations are sharply timed, location-dependent events that can reveal object sizes, positions, atmospheres, or ring structures.
Occultation at work: an example
The Moon can occult a star for observers in one region while missing it entirely from another latitude.
Where interpretation stops
Occultation is presented as sourced astronomy, calendrical, Earth-science, cultural, or instrument-history reference. Definitions should distinguish measured phenomena from civil convention and historical interpretation, preserve location and time dependencies, and avoid turning factual sky data into a deterministic personal claim.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Astronomical Almanac Glossary - Reference definitions for astronomical coordinates, events, calendars, and time scales.
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Complete Sun and Moon Data - Authoritative astronomical data services for positions, phases, and rise and set events.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Also appears in
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-15
Check upcoming occultations
Occultation in a book is one thing; Occultation in your own birth chart is your life. The Oracle casts your real chart and tells you what it means for your love, your work, and your year ahead, in conversation, free.
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Common questions
What is Occultation?
An Occultation occurs when a nearer celestial body passes in front of a more distant object and temporarily hides it from an observer.
How is Occultation used in an almanac?
Use Occultation with the bodies involved, visibility path, exact times, observing location, and safe equipment guidance.
What should I avoid when interpreting Occultation?
Do not publish one universal event time or visibility claim without checking the observer's location.
