What term describes the condition where the position of a space object blocks our view of another object?

What term describes the condition where the position of a space object blocks our view of another object?

• A. Eclipse
• B. Transit
• C. Conjunction
• D. Occultation

Answer: (A)

Occlusion by a foreground body blocking a background object from our point of view is called an occultation. It’s the general term for when one space object passes in front of another and hides it from sight, as when the Moon moves in front of a distant star, causing the star to disappear briefly. An eclipse is related but specific to the Sun being blocked (solar eclipse) or Earth's shadow blocking the Moon (lunar eclipse). A transit is when a body crosses the disk of another and is usually observed as a small, temporary dimming rather than a complete obstruction. So the best fit for the described situation is occultation.

Occlusion by a foreground body blocking a background object from our point of view is called an occultation. It’s the general term for when one space object passes in front of another and hides it from sight, as when the Moon moves in front of a distant star, causing the star to disappear briefly. An eclipse is related but specific to the Sun being blocked (solar eclipse) or Earth's shadow blocking the Moon (lunar eclipse). A transit is when a body crosses the disk of another and is usually observed as a small, temporary dimming rather than a complete obstruction. So the best fit for the described situation is occultation.