Occultation is a phenomenon in which one celestial body passes in front of another, blocking its light. An example of this is an ECLIPSE, where the moon passes in front of the sun and blocks its light from reaching Earth. Occultation can also refer to the passing of a planet or star in front of a distant star, blocking its light from reaching Earth. In either case, the celestial body that passes in front of the other is referred to as the occulting body.