VLBI observations show that the SiO maser emitting regions in oxygen-rich stars are very clumpy and that these clumps extend over a few stellar radii (Mclntosh et al. 1987; Colomer et al. 1992). These observations indicate that the ideal instrument for the study of the SiO masers is an interferometer with baselines covering between a few and several hundreds/thousands km. Such an instrument is so far unavailable.

A classical way to get high angular resolution and a full beam synthesis with a single telescope of moderate size is through lunar occultations. This observing technique provides the angular resolution of a single linear antenna several kilometers long. However, at millimeter wavelengths the Fresnel fringes produced by the Moon limb as the source under study is occulted have never been observed. We present here the observation with the 30-m IRAM radio telescope of the v=1 J=2-1 line of SiO during an occultation (and reappearance) of R Leo by the Moon.