The word for today is…

occultation (noun) – 1. The act of occulting or the state of being occulted.
2. (Astronomy) (a) The passage of a celestial object across the line of sight between an observer and another celestial object, as when the moon moves between Earth and the sun in a solar eclipse.
(b) The progressive blocking and unblocking of light or other electromagnetic radiation from a celestial source during such a passage: a lunar occultation of a quasar; a planetary occultation of a star.
(c) An observational technique for determining the position or radiant structure of a celestial source undergoing such occultation or of the object causing the occultation.
3. (Islam) The temporary, supernatural removal of a holy person from visible existence, as Shiites believe is the case with the 12th imam.

Source : The Free Dictionary

Etymology : Early 15th century, “disguise or concealment of identity,” from Latin occultationem (nominative occultatio), noun of action from past participle stem of occultare “to hide, conceal,” frequentative of occulere.

Peter is a fourth-generation New Zealander, with his mother's and father's folks having arrived in New Zealand in the 1870s. He lives in Lower Hutt with his wife, some cats and assorted computers. His...