Grazing occultation

An occultation is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object is hidden by another celestial object that passes between it and the observer. A grazing occultation is a special type of lunar occultation that occurs within a mile or two of the edge of an occultation's predicted path, referred to as its northern or southern limit. Within that narrow zone, an observer may see the star intermittently disappearing and reappearing as the irregular limb of the moon moves past the star, creating what is known as a grazing occultation. From an observational and scientific standpoint, these "grazes" are the most dynamic and interesting of lunar occultations.