An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A gas whose pressure is much less than a reference pressure.

Past participle of → rarefy; → gas.

1) To make less dense.
2) To become less dense; become thinned.
Related concepts: → attenuate, → dilute, → decompress.

M.E. rarefien, from M.Fr. rarefier, from rare, combining form of rarus "loose, wide apart, thin, infrequent."

Alaridan, infinitive of âlar, from intensive/nuance prefix â- + lar "thin, meagre" (Dehxodâ), Lori, Laki larr, larrek "thin cow or sheep," Kurd. lerr "thin, lean," variants of laqar (Torbat-Heydariyé), lâqar "lean, meagre, slender; weak."

The brightest star in the constellation → Hercules. It is a → red supergiant of type M5 (surface temperature about 3300 K) lying at a distance of 380 light-years. Rasalgethi is a variable star with a mean magnitude of V = 3.48. It has a fifth magnitude companion 5'' away. This secondary is itself a double that consists of a 4 solar-mass class G5 giant star with a temperature about that of the Sun and a 2.5 solar-mass F2 dwarf star (somewhat hotter than the Sun) in orbit around each other separated by 0.4 AU with a 52 day period.

Rasalgethi, from Ar. Ra's al-Jathi (رأس‌الجاثی) "the Kneeler's Head," in reference to an early name for the constellation, the figure of the man seen upside down, his head toward the south, from ra's "head" + jathi "kneeling."

The brightest star (V = 2.08) in the constellation → Ophiuchus. Rasalhague is a → giant star of type A5 lying 47 light-years from Earth. It has a faint, very close companion only 0''.5 away, 7 A.U., that orbits with a period of 8.7 years.

Rasalhague, from Ar. Ra's al-Hayyah (رأس‌الحیه), literally the "head of the snake," from ra's "head" + Hayyah "snake," referring to the creature in Gk. mythology.

Any of various long-tailed rodents resembling mice but larger, especially one of the genus Rattus (TheFreeDictionary.com).

From M.E. rat, rotte, from O.E. ræt, of unknown origin.

Gerz, from (Lori, Laki) gerza "rat, big mouse," Gilaki (Lâhijân, Gâleš, Bandar-Anzali, etc.) gerze "rat; mouse," variant (Mâzandarân) gal "mouse," of unknown origin.

The amount of change of some quantity during a time interval divided by the length of the time interval.

M.E. rate "monetary value," M.Fr. rate "price, value," from M.L. rata (pars) "fixed (amount)," from L. rata "fixed, settled," p.p. of reri "to reckon, think," → reason.

Nerx "rate, price, tariff."

Math.: The quotient of two quantities arrived at by dividing one by the other.

From L. ratio "reckoning, calculation," also "reason," from rat-, p.p. stem of reri "to reckon, calculate," also "think," → reason.
Fr. rapport, back-formation from rapporter "bring back," from → re- "back, again" + apporter "to bring," from L. apportare "to bring," from → ad- "to" + portare "to carry."

Vâbar, on the model of Fr. rapport "bringing back," as above, from vâ- prefix meaning "back to the original place, again," → re-, + bar present stem of bordan "to carry, lead" (Mid.Pers. burdan, O.Pers./Av. bar- "to bear, carry," barəθre "to bear (infinitive)," Skt. bharati "he carries," Gk. pherein, L. fero "to carry;" PIE base *bher- "to carry").

1) Having or exercising the ability to → reason.
2) Consistent with or based on reason; logical; in accordance with sound reasoning.
3) Math.: Capable of being expressed as a quotient of integers.

M.E. racional, from O.Fr. racionel, from L. rationalis "of or belonging to reason, reasonable," from ratio (genitive rationis) "reckoning, calculation, reason," from rat-, pp. stem of reri "to reckon, calculate; consider, think."

1) Râyani, of or pertaining to râyan, → reason.
2) Xeradâné, xeradmandâné, of or pertaining to xerad "understanding, judgement, intellect, wisdom;" Mid.Pers. xrad "reason, intellect, intelligence, wisdom, understanding;" O.Pers. xraθu- "wisdom;" Av. xratu- "intelligence, undestanding, wisdom; will, purpose, council;" cf. Skt. krátu- "power, will-power;" Gk. kratos "power, strength."
3) vâbari, of or pertaining to vâbar, → ratio.

Any number that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers, providing the second number is not zero.

→ rational; → number.

1) The fundamental reason or reasons serving to account for something.
2) A statement of reasons.
3) A reasoned exposition of principles (Dictionary.com).

L. neuter of rationalis.

Râyanâl, from râyan, → reason, + -âl, → -al.

A philosophical doctrine that holds that → reason alone, unaided by experience, can arrive at basic truth regarding the world.

From → rational + -ism a Gk. suffix used in the formation of nouns denoting action or practice, state or condition, principles, doctrines, and so forth.

Râyan, → reason; xerad, → rational; bâvari, from bâvar "belief" (Mid.Pers. wâbar "beleif;" Proto-Iranian *uar- "to choose; to convince; to believe;" cf. Av. var- "to choose; to convince" varəna-, varana- "conviction, faith;" O.Pers. v(a)r- "to choose; to convince;" Skt. vr- "to choose," vara- "choosing").

Any of several large, corvine birds having lustrous, black plumage and a loud, harsh call, especially Corvus corax, of the New and Old Worlds (Dictionary.com).

O.E. hræfn, hrefn; hræfn, cognate with O.Norse hrafn, Dan. ravn, Du. raaf, Ger. Rabe "raven," ultimately from PIE root *ker- imitative of harsh sounds (source also of L. crepare "to creak, clatter," cornix "crow," corvus "raven;" Gk. korax "raven," korone "crow;" O.C.S. kruku "raven;" Lith. krauklys "crow," related to Pers. kalâq, as below.

Kalâq, ultimately from Proto-Iranian*karak-, from *kar- "raven's harsh sound;" cf. Pers. qâr, qârqâr "croak," cognate with L. corvus, Gk. korax "a raven," Skt. kâkah, E. raven, as above and → crow.

Data that are unprocessed or not yet subjected to analysis.

Raw, from M.E., from O.E. hreaw "uncooked, raw;" cf. M.Du. rau, O.H.G. hrawer, Ger. roh; PIE base *krowos "congealed, bloody" cf. Skt. kravis- "raw flesh," krura- "bloody, raw, hard;" Gk. kreas "flesh;" L. crudus "not cooked," cruor "thick blood;" Lith. kraujas, O.C.S. kruvi "blood;" → data.

Dâdehâ→ data; xâm "crude, uncooked;" Mid.Pers. xâm "crude, raw" (Khotanese hāma- "raw;" Ossetic xom "raw;" Pash. ôm "raw"); cf. Skt āmá- "raw, uncooked;" Gk. omos "raw, uncooked."

1) Any of the lines or streams in which light appears to radiate from a luminous body. → light ray.
2) The straight line normal to the wave front in the propagation of radiant energy.
3) A stream of material particles all moving in the same straight line.

M.E. raie, raye, from O.Fr. rai "ray, spoke," from L. → radius "ray, spoke, staff, rod."

Partow, ultimately from Proto-Iranian *pari-tap- "to shine around, radiate away." The first component *pari- "around, about;" cf. Mod.Pers. par-, pirâ- "around, about," from Mid.Pers. pêrâ; O.Pers. pariy "around, about," Av. pairi "around, over," per- "to pass over, beyond;" Skt. pari; Gk. peri "around, about, beyond;" L. per "through;" PIE base *per- "through, across, beyond." The second component *tap- "to shine, radiate;" cf. Mod.Pers. tâbidan, variants tâftan "to shine," tafsidan "to become hot;" Mid.Pers. tâftan "to heat, burn, shine;" taftan "to become hot;" Parthian t'b "to shine;" Av. tāp-, taf- "to warm up, heat," tafsat "became hot," tāpaiieiti "to create warmth;" cf. Skt. tap- "; to heat, be/become hot; to spoil, injure, damage; to suffer," tapati "burns;" L. tepere "to be warm," tepidus "warm;" PIE base *tep- "to be warm."

In → rainbows, a sun ray directly reflected from the surface of a water → droplet.

→ ray; → class.

In → rainbows, a sun ray transmitted directly through a water → droplet.

→ ray; → class.

In → rainbows, a sun ray that emerges from a water → droplet after one internal reflection. Rays of class 3 give rise to the → primary rainbow.

→ ray; → class.

In → rainbows, a sun ray that emerges from a water → droplet after two internal reflections. Rays of class 4 give rise to the → secondary rainbow.

→ ray; → class.

A c.g.s. unit of light intensity used in astronomy and physics to measure the brightness of the night sky, auroras, etc. One rayleigh (R) represents the light intensity of one million photons of light emitted in all directions per square centimeter of receiver per second; or, in SI units, 795.775 x 10⁶ photons per square meter per steradian (m^-2·sr^-1). A dark night sky has a light intensity of roughly 250 R.

In honor of the English mathematician and physicist Lord Rayleigh (1842-1919), surname of John William Strutt, Third Baron Rayleigh, whose research ranged over several fields of physics.

1) A straight line that connects the points corresponding to the initial and final states on a graph of pressure versus specific volume for a substance subjected to a → shock wave. The slope of the Rayleigh line is proportional to the square of shock speed. Steeper Rayleigh lines correspond to higher shock speeds. See also → Hugoniot curve.
2) In → Raman scattering, the spectral line in scattered radiation which has the same frequency as the corresponding incident monochromatic radiation.

→ rayleigh; → line.