Aside from the trivial example of the Sun itself, the star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus is the next brightest. In fact, after 14 years of absence, this spectacle will be visible from a number of locations in Canada and North America beginning on August 8, 1996. An international array of professional and amateur astronomers will be on hand to watch this event. Occultations with bright stars occur dozens of times every year, and astronomers use this information to improve their models of the Moon's orbit, and the eclipses themselves can help determine the accurate sizes and positions of various celestial objects.