An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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The gravitational interaction between a relatively massive body and a field of much less massive bodies through which the massive body travels. As a result, the moving body loses → momentum and → kinetic energy. An example of dynamical friction is the sinking of massive stars to the center of a → star cluster, a process called → mass segregation. Dynamical friction plays an important role in → stellar dynamics. It was first quantified by Chandrasekhar (1943).

→ dynamical; → friction.

The evolution over time of a gravitationally → bound system consisting of N components because of encounters between the components, as studied in → stellar dynamics. Due to this process, in a → star cluster, → low-mass stars may acquire larger random velocities, and consequently occupy a larger volume than → high-mass stars. As a result, massive stars sink to the cluster centre on a time-scale that is inversely proportional to their mass. See also → mass segregation.

→ dynamical; → relaxation.

→ Dyson sphere.

→ Dyson; → shell.

A hypothetical structure built around a → star by an advanced → civilization to utilize most or all of the → energy radiated by their star. The idea of such a sphere was first formalized and popularized by theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson in 1960, though it was originally put forward by a 1945 science fiction novel. Dyson assumed that the power needs of → intelligent civilizations never stops increasing. He also proposed that searching for the existence of such structures might lead to the discovery of advanced civilizations elsewhere in the Galaxy. Sometimes referred to as a → Dyson shell or → megastructure.

Freeman John Dyson (1923-). His article, entitled "Search for Artificial Stellar Sources of Infrared Radiation," appeared in the 1960 issue of Science, 131 (3414), 1667-1668; → sphere.

A part of the → solar corona defined by the → emission lines of hot gases. These emission lines include the so-called → forbidden lines of the strongly ionized atoms of iron, calcium, and other elements. The E corona is thinner than the → K corona and the → F corona (M.S.: SDE).

E indicating → emission; → corona.

A → polarization component in the → cosmic microwave background radiation that depends only on → gradient, is independent of → curl and does not have → handedness. In contrast to the → B-mode, the E-mode may be due to both the → scalar perturbations and → tensor perturbations.

E, indicating electric-field like; → mode; → polarization.

The same as → elliptic aberration.

e, → elliptic; → term; → aberration.

Same as → enstatite chondrite.

→ enstatite; → type; → chondrite.

The natural motion of the Earth around its own axis, which takes place once in a → sidereal day. The Earth rotates toward the → east, in the same direction as it revolves around the Sun. If viewed from the north celestial pole, the Earth turns → counterclockwise. The opposite is true when the Earth is viewed from the south celestial pole. The Earth's rotation is responsible for the diurnal cycles of day and night, and also causes the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky. The Earth's rotation velocity at the → equator is 1,673 km h^-1 or about 465 m s^-1. More generally, at the → latitude  φ it is given by: v_φ = v_eq cos φ, where v_eq is the rotation velocity at the equator. The Earth's rotation is gradually slowing down under the action of the → tides, which are generated by the → gravitational attraction of the → Moon. As the result of this → tidal friction, the day is becoming longer at a rate of about 2 milliseconds, or 0.002 seconds, per century (or one second every 50,000 years). Moreover, the loss of the Earth's → rotational angular momentum increases the Moon's → orbital angular momentum, because the angular momentum of the → Earth-Moon system is conserved. In consequence, the Moon slowly recedes from the Earth by about 4 cm per year, which leads to increasing its orbital period and the length of a month as well.

→ Earth; → rotation.

A physical system composed on the → Earth and the → Moon in which both objects directly influence each other. The total energy in the Earth-Moon system is conserved. The most notable influence that the two objects have on each other is → tides.
See also: → tidal braking, → tidal bulge, → tidal capture, → tidal coupling, → tidal disruption, → tidal force, → tidal friction, → tidal heating, → tidal locking, → tidal radius, → tidal stretching.

→ Earth; → Moon; → system.

The position of a planet when it can be seen in the western sky just after sunset.

→ eastern; → elongation.

The fraction of the Sun's area occulted by the Moon. It should not be confused with → eclipse magnitude, which is the fraction of the Sun's diameter occulted by the Moon. Eclipse obscuration may be expressed as either a percentage or a decimal fraction (e.g., 50% or 0.50) (F. Espenak, NASA).

→ eclipse; obscuration, verbal noun from → obscure.

The period during which the Sun is close enough to one of the → lunar orbit nodes so that an eclipse can take place. This time window lasts for 37 days for → solar eclipses and almost 24 days for → lunar eclipses. These seasons occur every 173.31 days. Two eclipse seasons make up an → eclipse year.

→ eclipse; → season.

One of the two coordinates in the → ecliptic system; the angle measured eastwards along the ecliptic from 0° to 360°, with the origin at the → vernal equinox.

→ ecliptic; → longitude.

1) Pertaining to the production, distribution, and use of income, wealth, and commodities.
2) Of or relating to the science of economics.
3) Pertaining to an economy, or system of organization or operation, especially of the process of production (Dictionary.com).

Adjective, from → economics.

An increase in the output that an economy produces over a period of time.

→ economic; → growth.

1) Avoiding waste or extravagance; thrifty.
2) → economic.

→ economic; → -al.

The science that deals with description and analysis of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

From L. oeconomicus "well ordered," from Gk. oikonomikos "practiced in the management of a household or family," from oikonomia, from oiko- "house," → eco-, + -nomia "rule, law," → -nomy; + → -ics.

Bum, → eco- + -dât, → -nomy, + -ik, → -ics.

1) To practice economy; avoid waste or extravagance.
2) To manage economically; use sparingly or frugally (Dictionary.com).

From econom(y), → economy, + → -ize.

1) Thrifty and efficient use of material resources of a community, society, or household; frugality in expenditures.
2) An act or means of thrifty saving; a saving.
3) The management of the resources of a community, country, etc., especially with a view to its productivity (Dictionary.com).

From M.Fr. economie, → economics.

Bumdât, back formation from bumdâti, → economic.