Technique · Time-Domain & Seismology

Stellar Occultations

Watching a star wink out as a foreground body passes in front of it. The timing reveals the size and shape of asteroids, the rings of the giant planets, and the atmospheres of distant worlds — even Pluto's.

Time-Domain & SeismologyMeasures: Sizes, shapes, and atmospheres

Knowledge connections

Member of groupTime-Domain & Seismology
Associated withAsteroid Observing
Associated withOccultation Timing

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.