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J Astronomy
Astronomy
Question | Answer |
---|---|
a stony meteorite without rounded grains. | achondrite |
of or like an ACHONDRITE. | achondritic |
occurring at nightfall or sunset, (esp. of the rising or setting of stars. | acronic acronical acronycal acronychal |
the fraction of light reflected from a body or surface: ALBEDOS or (US) ALBEDOES. | albedo |
a circle of altitude, parallel to the horizon. | almacantar almucantar |
a textbook or handbook, especially dealing with astronomy. | almagest |
the figure-8 on a map showing the sun's seasonal course: ANALEMMAS or ANALEMMATA. | analemma |
part of Saturn's rings: ANSAE. | ansa |
situated at the opposite side of the earth or moon; diametrically opposed; (noun) an antipodal cell: ANTIPODALS. | antipodal |
opposite to the sun; -- said of the point in the heavens 180° distant from the sun. | antisolar |
relating to an APHELION, the point when the earth is farthest from the sun during its annual orbit. | aphelian |
the point when the earth is farthest from the sun during its annual orbit: APHELIA or APHELIONS. [Gk. apo, from + helios, sun]. | aphelion |
the high point in an orbit: APOAPSIDES. | apoapsis |
relating to an APOGEE. | apogaeic apogeal apogean apogeic |
the outermost point in an orbit; the highest point; the apex: APOGEES. | apogee |
the point in the orbit of a body revolving round the moon that is farthest from the centre of the moon. | apolune |
the close approach of a planet or asteroid to a star without the occurrence of an eclipse. | appulse |
relating to an APPULSE, the close approach of a planet or asteroid to a star without the occurrence of an eclipse: APPULSIVELY+. | appulsive+ |
the point at which a heavenly body is most or least distant from centre of attraction: APSIDES. | apsis |
description of the physical features of the planet Mars. | areography |
the study of Mars. [From Ares, the Greek equivalent of Mars in classical mythology) + logy (study)]. | areology |
a constellation of stars; a group of asterisks; appearance of star-like reflection by certain crystals. | asterism |
a type of celestial body. | asteroid |
of or pertaining to an ASTEROID. | asteroidal |
the wound left by a meteorite strike. | astrobleme+ |
a domed window in an aircraft for astronomical observations. | astrohatch+ |
a person engaged in space travel. | astronaut |
a person who is skilled in astronomy or who makes observations of celestial phenomena. | astronomer |
related to ASTRONOMY. | astronomic astronomical |
to study astronomy. | astronomise astronomize |
the study of the celestial bodies and the heavens in all scientific aspects. | astronomy |
the angle a celestial object makes from due north, when measured in an eastwards direction along the horizon. [Arabic al-sumut, from al, the + samt, way]. | azimuth |
of or pertaining to the AZIMUTH: AZIMUTHALLY. | azimuthal |
a shift of the spectrum towards the blue. Cf. REDSHIFT. | blueshift |
having its light shifted towards the blue. | blueshifted |
a large meteor that bursts; a fireball. | bolide |
pertaining to the dog star, or the dog days of summer. | canicular |
a star of a type having regular cycles of brightness which can be used to deduce their distances (aka 'standard candle'). | cepheid |
the nebulous part of a comet. | chevelure |
a meteoric stone characterized by the presence of CHONDRULES. | chondrite |
situated or moving round the moon. | circumlunar |
situated or moving round the sun. | circumsolar |
on this side of the moon, i.e. between moon and earth. | cislunar |
an astronomical instrument used to reflect light on to a telescope. | coelostat |
a star that has collapsed under its own gravity to form a black hole. | collapsar |
a telescope arranged and used to determine errors of collimation, both vertical and horizontal. | collimator |
a celestial circle that intersects another at the poles. [Gr. kolouros, from kolos, docked + oura, tail]. | colure |
a spherical cloud of material surrounding the head of a comet: COMAE or COMAS. | coma |
relating to a COMA. | comal |
a heavenly body with a (usu) elliptical orbit round the sun, having a main nucleus composed of rocky fragments held together with ice and surrounded by a cloud of dust and gas. | comet |
relating to a COMET. | cometary cometic |
the study of comets. | cometology |
one of the sun's envelopes, outside the chromosphere, observable during total eclipse: CORONAS or CORONAE. | corona |
of or pertaining to the universe as an ordered system or totality: COSMICALLY. | cosmic cosmical |
relating to cosmology. | cosmologic+ cosmological |
the study of the COSMOS. | cosmology |
the world or universe: COSMOSES, KOSMOSES. [Gk. kosmos]. | cosmos kosmos |
(of a reflecting telescope) in which one or more plane mirrors reflects the light down the polar axis. (The e has an accent). | coude |
the side of a planet facing the sun. | dayside |
the planet Venus. | daystar |
to come out of an orbit. | deorbit |
having no disk; appearing as a point and not expanded into a disk, as the image of a faint star in a telescope. | diskless |
the faint light visible on parts of the moon not illuminated by the sun. | earthlight |
like the planet earth. | earthlike |
the rising of the earth as seen from the moon. | earthrise |
the setting of the earth as seen from the moon. | earthset |
the faint light visible on parts of the moon not illuminated by the sun. | earthshine |
the total or partial disappearance of a heavenly body by the interposition of another between it and the spectator; (verb) to obscure. | eclipse |
an imaginary circle which the sun follows from Earth perspective: ECLIPTICALLY(+). | ecliptic |
the act of emerging esp. the reappearance of a heavenly body after eclipse or occultation. | emersion |
a table giving the positions of celestial bodies at different times: EPHEMERIDES. | ephemeris |
one who studies the daily motions and positions of the planets. | ephemerist |
a term in Ptolemy's astronomical system. [L. aequare, to make equal]. | equant |
a lunar inequality, the combined effect of the irregularity of the point of the moon's orbit at which it is nearest to Earth and the alternate increase and decrease of the eccentricity of the moon's orbit. | evection |
relating to EVECTION. | evectional+ |
a planet that orbits a star in another solar system. | exoplanet+ |
beyond the solar system. | extrasolar+ |
an unusually bright spot on the sun's surface: FACULAE. | facula |
of or pertaining to FACULAE. | facular |
a burning meteor, a BOLIDE. | fireball |
a star system. | galaxy |
a space probe for exploring space near the earth. | geoprobe |
of or pertaining to a satellite that travels about the earth's equator at an altitude of at least 35,000 kilometers at a speed matching that of the earth's rotation, thus maintaining a constant relation to points on the earth. | geostationary |
of a moon, between half and full. | gibbose gibbous |
the state of being GIBBOSE. | gibbosity |
solar; coincident with that of the sun, or as nearly as could be observed: HELIACALLY. | heliac heliacal |
the science of the sun. | heliology |
an instrument for observing sun without injury to the eyes. | helioscope |
an exploding star than produces even more energy and light than a SUPERNOVA: HYPERNOVAE or HYPERNOVAS. | hypernova+ |
unerring, fixed (of a star). | inerrant |
situated in or relating to the spaces between galaxies. | intergalactic |
relating to the period of the moon's invisibility. | interlunar interlunary |
see COSMOS. | kosmos |
the pole-star; one that serves as an inspiration, model or guide. | loadstar lodestar |
one who travels to the moon. | lunanaut lunarnaut |
relating to the moon; (noun) a lunar distance: LUNARS. | lunar |
a little moon or satellite. | lunet |
relating jointly to the moon and sun. | lunisolar |
pertaining to tidal movements dependent on the moon. | lunitidal |
a type of neutron star that has a very intense magnetic field. | magnetar+ |
a sea on the moon: MARIA. | mare |
a seismic disturbance on Mars. | marsquake |
a concentration of dense mass beneath the moon's surface. | mascon |
the whole universe considered as a system of galaxies. | metagalaxy |
relating to a METAGALAXY. | metagalactic |
a small celestial body that enters the earth's atmosphere. | meteor |
a meteor that has not reached the earth's atmosphere. | meteoroid |
of the nature or appearance of a meteor. | meteorous |
a very small meteorite. | micrometeorite |
a very small meteoroid. | micrometeoroid |
the satellite of a planet; (verb) to spend time idly: MOONS, MOONED, MOONING. | moon |
lacking the light of the moon. | moonless |
a small moon. | moonlet |
resembling the moon. | moonlike |
a phase of the moon. | moonphase |
a seismic disturbance on the moon. | moonquake |
a view of the moon's surface. | moonscape |
the setting of the moon. | moonset |
the sum of all universes. | multiverse+ |
the point of the heavens diametrically opposite to the zenith; the point directly below an observer. [Arabic nazir, opposite to]. | nadir |
of or like a NADIR. | nadiral |
a hazy or indistinct luminous area in the night sky representing a distant cluster of stars: NEBULAE or NEBULAS. | nebula |
of or like a NEBULA. | nebular |
like a NEBULA, cloudy. | nebulose |
like a NEBULA, cloudy: NEBULOUSLY. | nebulous |
of or pertaining to the nodes, as, the nodical revolutions of the moon. | nodical |
not related to the sun. | nonsolar |
an exploding star: NOVAE or NOVAS. | nova |
like a NOVA. | novalike |
to move or revolve around: ORBITS, ORBITING, ORBITED. | orbit |
relating to an orbit: ORBITALLY(+); (noun) an orbit: ORBITALS. | orbital |
an apparatus showing the relative positions and motions of bodies in the solar system by balls moved by wheelwork: ORRERIES. [From Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery (1676-1731), who was given such a models by John Rowley, a London instrument-maker] | orrery |
the seeming change of an object's position due to the observer moving. | parallax |
a mock moon; bright patch on a lunar halo: PARASELENAE. | paraselene |
relating to the PARASELENE. | paraselenic+ |
the closest point to a central body reached by a body in orbit: PERIAPSES. | periapsis+ |
that point, in the real or apparent orbit of one star revolving around another, at which the former is nearest to the latter: PERIASTRONS. | periastron |
the point in the path of a body revolving round a centre at which it is nearest to the centre. | pericenter+ pericentre+ |
relating to a PERIGEE. | perigeal perigean |
the point of the moon's orbit at which it is nearest the earth. [Gk. perigeion neuter of perigeios round or near the earth, from peri and ge earth]. Cf. APOGEE. | perigee |
relating to the PERIHELION. | perihelial |
the point of the orbit of a planet or a comet at which it is nearest to the sun, as opposed to APHELION: PERIHELIA. | perihelion |
the point in the path of a body orbiting the moon that is nearest to the centre of the moon. | perilune |
any of the celestial bodies (including the earth, but other than a comet or meteor) that revolve about the sun reflecting the sun's light. | planet |
of or pertaining to the planets; (noun) a train of planetary gears. | planetary |
an asteroid or similar tiny celestial body. | planetesimal |
relating to a PLANET. | planetic |
of or pertaining to planets. | planetical |
a body resembling a planet; an asteroid. | planetoid |
study of planets. | planetology |
of or relating to the full moon. | plenilunar |
a supernova remnant emitting radiation from both centre and shell. | plerion+ |
the first-magnitude star Ursae Minoris, now within one degree of the north celestial pole. | polestar |
a galaxy in its initial state of formation. | protogalaxy |
a planet in its initial state of formation. | protoplanet |
a condensing mass of gas in the early formation of a star. | protostar |
a cosmic source of regular and rapid pulses of radiation usu. at radio frequencies, believed to be a rapidly rotating neutron star. | pulsar |
a celestial object that resembles a star optically but is inferred to be an extremely remote and immensely powerful source of light and other radiation. | quasar |
the displacement of the light a receding object emits toward the red end of the spectrum. Cf. BLUESHIFT. | redshift |
having its light shifted towards the red. | redshifted |
one of certain narrow, crooked valleys seen, by aid of the telescope, on the surface of the moon. | rille |
a satellite: SATELLITES. | satelles |
a body revolving around a planet; (verb) to transmit by satellite: SATELLITES, SATELLITING, SATELLITED. | satellite |
lunar. | selenian |
of or relating to the moon. [Gk. selene, moon]. | selenic |
pertaining to moon's centre; having moon as centre. | selenocentric |
the branch of astronomy dealing with the physical features of the moon. | selenography |
study of the moon. | selenology |
a half-moon shape. | semilune |
having the shape of a SEMILUNE. | semilunar semilunate |
a type of meterorite, composed of solidified lava from celestial bodies other than earth. | shergottite |
of or relating to the stars; measured by apparent motion of the stars: SIDEREALLY(+). | sidereal |
a meteorite made up partly of stone, partly of iron. | siderolite |
a point in space-time at which gravitational forces cause matter to have infinite density and infinitesimal volume, and space and time to become infinitely distorted. | singularity |
an orbiting experimental space station. | skylab |
related to the sun; (noun) an upper room, a garret. | solar |
relating to sun and moon. | solunar+ |
a rapidly spinning galactic body. | spinar |
an orbiting spacecraft. | sputnik |
a common proper motion of a number of stars in the same region. | stardrift |
cosmic dust, meteoric matter in fine particles. | stardust |
to observe stars. | stargaze |
the light of stars. | starshine |
an area of relative darkness on the surface of a star. | starspot |
relating to stars. | stellar |
a star smaller than a dwarf star. | subdwarf+ |
under the moon, terrestrial. | sublunar sublunary |
directly under the sun, as a point on the earth's surface where the sun is vertically overhead. | subsolar |
the star that is the source of light; (verb) to expose to the sun's rays. | sun |
like or resembling the sun. | sunlike |
a dark spot on the surface of the sun. | sunspot |
showing SUNSPOTS. | sunspotted+ |
a very bright star of enormous size and low density, such as Antares. | supergiant |
above the moon, not of this world. | superlunar superlunary |
a very brilliant nova resulting from an explosion which blows the star's material into space, leaving an expanding cloud of gas: SUPERNOVAE or SUPERNOVAS. | supernova |
the passing of a spacecraft near a planet to use its gravitational pull: SWINGBYS. | swingby |
related to a SYZYGY. | syzygal syzygial |
relating to a SYZYGY, conjunction or opposition. | syzygetic+ |
a conjunction or opposition. [Gk. syzygia union, coupling]. | syzygy |
a prism telescope. | teinoscope |
to make (another planet) earth-like. | terraform |
a lessening in the number of atomic particles and cosmic rays passing through the earth's atmosphere. | thindown |
the apparent passage of a smaller planet, etc over the disc of a greater; (verb) to pass across or through (something); to traverse: TRANSITS, TRANSITING, TRANSITED. | transit |
of or relating to the region beyond the moon's orbit. | translunar translunary |
the seven stars of the Plough. [L. triones plough-oxen]. N.B. no TRIONE*. | triones |
the totality of all existing things. | universe |
descriptive astronomy and mapping. | uranography |
the study of the heavens; astronomy. | uranology |
a meteor. | ursid+ |
the highest point. | zenith |
of or pertaining to the ZENITH. | zenithal |