Orwell Astronomical Society (Ipswich)
Occultation Predictions, 1993 - 2020
An occultation occurs when one celestial body passes in front of another. Bodies in the Solar System occult stars and occasionally occult one another. Lunar occultations of stars are more frequent than any other kind, due to the large apparent size of the Moon and its rapid motion through the sky. Many years ago, lunar occultations provided a ready means of comparing the position of the Moon and stars at specific instants in time, and therefore could be used to validate and update theories of the lunar orbit. Nowadays, although they have little scientific value, they remain an interesting spectacle for the amateur observer.
Occultation predictions below are specific to the location of Orwell Park Observatory.