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Astronomy

The Phenomenon of Stellar Occultations in Studying Distant Objects

Quick fact

The accidental discovery of Uranus's rings in 1977 happened when astronomers noticed the star passing behind the planet blinked out several times before and after the main occultation—revealing rings unexpectedly.

Why this is interesting

Imagine watching a tiny speck of light vanish for a few seconds—what could that blink tell us about a world billions of miles away? Actually, it can reveal the world's shape, its atmosphere, and even hidden rings.