It is surrounded by alternating rings of light and dark these are due to diffraction any light passing through an aperture is diffracted, and the effect is inversely. A accretion accumulation of dust and gas into larger bodies. A list of the astronomical terms used in the science u observatory pages. Dictionary of geophysics, astrophysics, and astronomy comprehensive dictionary of physics 1st edition. Weve included the definitions of some of the most commonly used words in. The branch of astronomy dealing with the motions and gravitational interactions of objects in the solar system. Glossary of astronomical terms absolute magnitude a scale for measuring the actual brightness of a celestial object without accounting for the distance of the object. Play sporcle s virtual live trivia to have fun, connect with people, and get your trivia on. Astronomy terms can help get you uptospeed some terms of stargazing and the science of astronomy. If a virtual private party is more your thing, go here for details. Glossary of astronomy terms astronomy reference guide on. Black holes are formed when massive stars collapse. Nasa amazing space glossary of astronomy terms milky way is 100,000 lightyears across and,000 lightyears thick.
This glossary of astronomy terms contains definitions for some of the most common words used in astronomy, cosmology, astrophysics, and space exploration. Aabsolute magnitude also known as absolute visual magnitude. Find out the difference between a reflector and a refractor telescope. Browse the list of 10 486 astronomy acronyms and abbreviations with their meanings and definitions. A sphere of very large radius centred on the observer. During the maximum phase of an annular eclipse, the sun appears as a blindingly bright ring surrounding the moon. H624 1997 ref supplies and summarizes the historical research and studies in the field of astronomy.
Black hole an area in space with gravity so intense even light cannot escape its pull. In astronomy, the measurement of the light emitting from astronomical objects, generally in the visible or infrared bands, in which a specific or general wavelength band is normally specified. This book is rich in peculiarities for the interested observer the independentthe revised second edition of this established dictionary contains over 4,300 uptodate entries covering all aspects of astronomy. Astronomy the branch of science that studies outer space, celestial bodies, and the universe. The normal size requires 2 pieces of paper per puzzle and can be solved on the students desk or on a table. Points about which the celestial sphere appears to rotate. Glossary of astronomical, cosmological, and space terms. Astronomy is the scientific study of the stars, planets, and other natural objects in. Browse and search thousands of astronomy abbreviations and acronyms in our comprehensive reference resource.
Derived from latin, albedo means whiteness albus white. Abbreviations, acronyms, and glossary of terms getting. Dictionary of geophysics, astrophysics, and astronomy edited by richard a. The jansky was named to honor karl gothe jansky who developed radio astronomy in. The milky way, the galaxy containing our solar system, is about 100,000 lightyears in diameter and about 10,000. Ultimately, the glossary is designed to cover all areas of astronomy, from quarks to quasars.
Glossary of astronomy terms related to galaxies amazing space. This list also includes information on particle physics, as well as pertinent statistics, graphs, and. A series of compounds in which adjacent members of the series differ by a fixed unit of structure. Join a live hosted trivia game for your favorite pub trivia experience done virtually. Also referred to as the northern and southern lights. M55 2001 5203dc21 00064220 isbn 0 521 80045 5 hardback isbn 0 521 80480 9 paperback. Pdf glossary of basic astronomical terms researchgate. Albedo is measured on a scale from 0 to 1, where 0 refers to an object that is completely dark, i. This glossary of astronomy is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to astronomy. Asteroid a minor planet,a chunk of rock smaller than planetsize but larger than a meteoroid, in orbit around a star. Astronomical unit au a measure of distance used for.
A typical radio source has a spectral flux density of roughly 1 jy. In astronomy, this term is often applied to the universe as a whole, which is postulated to be homogeneous. Astronaut a person who is specially trained to travel into outer space. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Telescope and astronomy words, terms and definitions. Albedo in astronomy, the term albedo refers to the brightness of an object in space. This glossary of astronomy is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to astronomy and cosmology, their subdisciplines, and related fields. The andromeda galaxy or messier 31 m31 is the closest large galaxy to the milky way. Part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 faq age distances bibliography relativity. Glossary of astronomy terms astronomy reference guide on sea.
The amateur astronomy hobby contains words, labels, and technical terms that may seem be a little confusing for both beginners and the more experienced hobbyists. In this section you can learn what every astronomy term means and how it helps us to better understand the cosmos. An excellent reference on this topic is astronomical photometry. Youve probably seen or heard many unfamiliar terms while researching telescopes. Pdf a glossary of astronomical terms or what every. Astronomy definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Eclipsewise glossary of eclipse and astronomy terms. The solar system may contain as many as 1011 comets, most of them in a giant cloud stretching into interstellar space but still gravitationally bound to the sun. Glossary of astronomical and cosmological terms tutorial.
This barcode number lets you verify that youre getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. Glossary of eclipse and astronomy terms by fred espenak. Whats the difference between a reflector and a refractor. A unit used in radio astronomy to indicate the flux density the rate of flow of radio waves of electromagnetic radiation received from outer space. Knowing some of the most oftused astronomy terms will help you better understand the nuts and bolts of stargazing and the science of astronomy. Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples log in dictionary. Our astronomy glossary has the essentials of carefully sourced terms and definitions to answer many questions like. Astronomy terms are used to describe the various phenomena in space. The astronomy glossary aims to help you understand some of the terms used in this website. Aurora various colored lights in the northern and southern skies. The larger size requires 8 pieces of paper and quite a bit of. List of all most popular abbreviated astronomy terms defined.
An annotated glossary of amateur astronomy acronyms and. Asteroids can vary in size from a few feet across to hundreds of miles. A spiral galaxy viewed from the side so that the disk containing the spiral arms appears to be a thin line of stars and dust crossing and extending beyond the bulge. The field of astronomy features an extensive vocabulary and a significant amount of jargon. A brief glossary of commonly used astronomical terms. A crossdisciplinary dictionary of energy terms defined in language understandable to experts in several related fields, this dictionary contains an alphabetical listing of words associated with fuel technology, energy sources and transformation, economics, and the environment. The a ring is farthest from the planet and is separated from the b ring by the cassini division. Asteroid belt an area between the orbits of mars and jupiter where millions asteroids orbit the sun. Asteroid belt a region of the solar system, between the orbits of mars and jupiter, in which most of the asteroids orbit. It is by no means a comprehensive astronomy dictionary.
Asteroid an asteroid is a celestial body made of rock and metal that orbits the sun. Compiled with the help of over 20 expert contributors under the editorship of renowned author and broadcaster ian ridpath, a dictionary of astronomy covers everything from. Cambridge dictionary of astronomy jacqueline mitton. Glossary of astronomical, cosmological, and space terms based on latest observations related to the big bang, cmb, and flat space while noting that galaxy formation is impossible using the cosmological constant, dark energy, or expanding space and hydrogen thin as air. Atmosphere an envelope of gases that surround a planet. A glossary of astronomical terms or what every student of astronomy should know. Ive included two different sizes of the same puzzle. Annular eclipse a type of solar eclipse in which a ring annulus of sunlight remains visible. Pdf defines the most commonly used terms in introductory astronomy using everyday language. Now an employeeowned company, we pride ourselves on an unswerving commitment to best quality products, value and unmatched customer care.
You may click on any yellow highlighted word to jump directly to the definition for that astronomy word. If you ever wonder the meaning of an astronomical word, search no further and browse below to find the definition of the space term. A pattern formed by stars not recognized as one of the official 88 constellations. Find out the difference between a meteor and meteorite. A ringone of three saturnian rings visible from earth. Glossary of terms and astronomy acronyms iceinspace. Astrophysics and astronomy are enjoying a new golden era, with remarkable. Absolute magnitude measures how bright an object would appear if it were exactly 10 parsecs about 33 light years away from earth. Astronomy is concerned with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of earth. In astronomy, the term albedo refers to the brightness of an object in space. An annotated glossary of amateur astronomy acronyms and terms this is not intended to be a comprehensive dictionary, but a selected list of the common acronyms and terms used by amateur observers. Dictionary of geophysics, astrophysics, and astronomy. Achromatic lens a lens with two or more elements designed to produce an image substantially free from false colour airy disk the airy disk is the brightest spot formed by a star image as seen through a telescope. It is designed to cover all of astronomy, including particle physics and some statistics.
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