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

1) For an asteroid whose orbit is precisely known, a number and optionally a proper name, e.g. (7) Iris, (24101) Cassini, (99942) Apophis.
2) For an asteroid whose orbit is not known, a provisional designation composed of four elements: number.letter.letter.(optionally)number. The first number indicates the year of discovery. The first letter denotes the half-month of the discovery (A: first half of January, Y: second half of December; the letter "I" is excluded). The second letter and the following number indicate the order of discovery within the half-month. For example, the first asteroid discovered in the first half of May 1960 is: 1960 JA. Since more than 25 objects (without "I") might be detected within a half-month, the number following the second letter indicates the number of 25 discoveries. Hence, 2001 SD3 was discovered in the second half of September 2001 and was the (D =) 4 + (25 x 3) or the 79th object found during that period.

→ asteroid; → designation.

The cyclic process in which interstellar matter is incorporated into newly formed stars, where it undergoes nuclear processing, is thus enriched with heavier elements, and then returns into the interstellar medium through supernova explosion or stellar winds to be used in the formation of a newer generation of stars.

Astration, from astrate, from astr-, → astro-, + noun-forming suffix -ation.

Setâreš, from setâridan (from setâré "star" + verb-making suffix -idan) + noun-builder -eš.

A person trained to pilot, navigate, or otherwise participate as a crew member of a spacecraft.

Astronaut, from Gk. → astro- "star" + nautes "sailor," from naus "ship" (cognate with Mod.Pers. nâv "ship;" Av./O.Pers. *nāv-, O.Pers. nāviyā- "fleet;" Skt. nau-, nava- "ship, boat;" Gk. naus, neus, L. navis; PIE *nāu- "ship").

Fazânavard, from Ar. fazâ "space" + navard agent noun from navardidan "to travel, walk, pass by and over."
Keyhânnavard, from keyhân "cosmos" + navard.

The science and technology of space flight, including the building and operation of space vehicles.

→ astronaut.

One who specializes in astronomy. → professional astronomer, → amateur astronomer.

Astronomer, from → astronomy + → -er.

Axtaršenâs has a long history in Persian; it is abundantly used by Ferdowsi (A.D. 950-1020) in his great work Šâhnâmé (Shahnameh); from axtar "star" → astro- + šenâs contraction of šenâsandé "expert, knowlegeable, skilled," from šenâxtan "to know, to recognize." → astronomy.

Of or relating to → astronomy.
In non astronomical contexts, of enormous magnitude; immense.

Astronomical, from L. astronomic(us), → astronomy + → -ic, + → -al adj. suffix.

Axtaršenâxti, from axtaršenâxt, variant of axtaršenâsi, → astronomy + -i adj. suffix.
Axtaršenâsik, from axtaršenâsi, → astronomy + re-introduced Mod.Pers. suffix -ik, → -ics.

A precise pendulum clock with separate dials for seconds, minutes, and hours. It was originally used by astronomers to calculate astronomical time.

→ astronomical; → clock.

A precisely measured fundamental quantity in astronomy, such as the → solar parallax, the → constant of aberration, and the → obliquity of the ecliptic.

→ astronomical; → constant.

Values in a reference system used to relate the position of a body on the celestial sphere.

→ astronomical; → coordinates.

The intersection of a plane perpendicular to the radius of the Earth through the observer's eye with the celestial sphere. Same as → true horizon. Because the → celestial sphere has an infinite radius, two observers at different heights above sea level, but placed on the same vertical line, have the same astronomical horizon. Because of → dip of the horizon, the astronomical horizon always lies above the → sea horizon. But on land it is usually hidden by trees, hills, and buildings which determine the observer's → apparent horizon.

→ astronomical; → horizon.

A device used to observe and study → astronomical objects.

→ astronomical; → instrument.

The angle between the → equatorial plane and the true → vertical at a point on the surface.

→ astronomical; → latitude.

A naturally occurring physical entity or association that lies beyond the Earth's atmosphere and can be studied observationally. In other words, a gravitationally bound structure that is associated with a position in space, but may consist of multiple independent astronomical objects. A list of astronomical objects includes → planets, → asteroids, → comets, → stars, → nebulae, galaxies (→ galaxy), → galaxy clusters, → pulsars, and → black holes. Note that → celestial body, → celestial object, and → heavenly body are less technical terms for these entities.

→ astronomical; → object.

A building, place, or institution designed and equipped for making → observations of astronomical phenomena.

→ astronomical; → observatory.

The → angular → displacement of a point on the → celestial sphere due to the Earth's → atmospheric refraction.

→ astronomical; → refraction.

A certain place whose characteristics, as to location, altitude, atmospheric conditions, etc., make it appropriate for astronomical observations.

→ astronomical; → site.

One of a set of tables giving parameters used for calculations of positions of the Sun, the Moon, and the planets in particular in pre-telescopic astronomy. The oldest known astronomical tables are those of Ptolemy. In Modern astronomy it is usually replaced by the term → ephemeris. Same as → zij. See also → Toledan Tables, → Alfonsine Tables.

→ astronomical; → table.

One of the twilight phases when the Sun's center lies between 12 and 18 degrees below the horizon. Astronomical twilight is followed or preceded by → nautical twilight. Most stars and other celestial objects can be seen during this phase. However, some of the fainter stars and galaxies may not be observable as long as the Sun is less than 18 degrees below the horizon. See also → civil twilight.

→ astronomical; → twilight.

1) A unit of length equal to 149 597 870 700 m exactly, with symbol "au" (re-definition at the International Astronomical Union's 28th General Assembly in Beijing, China, August 20-31). The astronomical unit equals 1.5813 × 10^-5 → light-years and 4.8481 ×10^-6 → parsecs.
2) Previous definition: The radius of a circular orbit in which a body of negligible mass, and free of perturbations, would revolve around the Sun in 2 π / k days, where k is the → Gaussian gravitational constant. This is slightly less than the semi-major axis of the Earth's orbit.

→ astronomical; → unit.

The science of the celestial bodies and the Universe, dealing especially with the positions, dimensions, distribution, motion, chemical composition, energy, and evolution of celestial bodies and phenomena.

O.Fr. astronomie, from L. astronomia, from Gk. astronomia, from → astro- "star" + nomos "arranging, regulating," related to nemein "to deal out."

Axtaršenâsi, from axtar "star," → astro- + -šenâsi "knowledge" from šenâxtan "to know, to discern."