Celestial Point

• apoapsis

  (astronomy) the point in an orbit farthest from the body being orbited.

• periapsis

  (astronomy) the point in an orbit closest to the body being orbited.

• node

  (astronomy) a point where an orbit crosses a plane.

• equinoctial point

  (astronomy) either of the two celestial points at which the celestial equator...

• culmination

  (astronomy) a heavenly body's highest celestial point above an observer's horizon.

Alignment

• alignment

  (astronomy) apparent meeting or passing of two or more celestial bodies in the same degree...

• inferior conjunction

  (astronomy) the alignment of the Earth and a planet on the same side of the...

• superior conjunction

  (astronomy) the alignment of the Earth and a planet on the opposite side of...

Celestial Body

• star

  (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions...

• planet

  (astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around...

• primary

  (astronomy) a celestial body (especially a star) relative to other objects in orbit around...

Comet

• comet

  (astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels...

• coma

  (astronomy) the luminous cloud of particles surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet; forms...

• nucleus

  (astronomy) the center of the head of a comet; consists of small solid particles of ice...

Equinoctial Point

• vernal equinox

  (astronomy) the equinoctial point that lies in the constellation of Pisces.

• autumnal equinox

  (astronomy) the equinoctial point that lies in the constellation of Virgo.

Eclipse

• egress

  (astronomy) the reappearance of a celestial body after an eclipse.

• ingress

  (astronomy) the disappearance of a celestial body prior to an eclipse.

Model

• Copernican system

  (astronomy) Copernicus' astronomical model in which the Earth rotates around the...

• Ptolemaic system

  (astronomy) Ptolemy's model of the universe with the Earth at the center.

Variation

• variation

  (astronomy) any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite (especially...

• libration

  (astronomy) a real or apparent slow oscillation of a moon or satellite; "the libration...

Law

• Kepler's law

  (astronomy) one of three empirical laws of planetary motion stated by Johannes Kep...

• Hubble's law

  (astronomy) the generalization that the speed of recession of distant galaxies (the...

Angular Distance

• declination

  (astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial body north or to the south of the celestial...

• right ascension

  (astronomy) the equatorial coordinate specifying the angle, measured eastward along...

Accumulation

• galaxy

  (astronomy) a collection of star systems; any of the billions of systems each having many...

• Oort cloud

  (astronomy) a hypothetical huge collection of comets orbiting the sun far beyond the...

Also contains

• outer planet

  (astronomy) a major planet whose orbit is outside the asteroid belt (Jupiter, Saturn,...

• meteoroid

  (astronomy) any of the small solid extraterrestrial bodies that hits the earth's atmo...

• asterism

  (astronomy) a cluster of stars (or a small constellation).

• astrophysics

  The branch of astronomy concerned with the physical and chemical properties of celestial...

• phase

  (astronomy) the particular appearance of a body's state of illumination (especially one of...

• astrometry

  The branch of astronomy that deals with the measurement of the position and motion of...

• radio astronomy

  The branch of astronomy that detects and studies the radio waves emitted by celestial...

• accretion

  (astronomy) the formation of a celestial object by the effect of gravity pulling together...

• nucleosynthesis

  (astronomy) the cosmic synthesis of atoms more complex than the hydrogen atom.

• celestial mechanics

  The branch of astronomy concerned with the application of Newton's laws of motion...

• selenology

  The branch of astronomy that deals with the moon.

• solar physics

  The branch of astronomy that deals with the sun.

• barycenter

  (astronomy) the common center of mass around which two or more bodies revolve.

• canal

  (astronomy) an indistinct surface feature of Mars once thought to be a system of channels...

• red shift

  (astronomy) a shift in the spectra of very distant galaxies toward longer wavelengths...

• limb

  (astronomy) the circumferential edge of the apparent disc of the sun or the moon or a plan...

• orbital plane

  (astronomy) the plane on which a body is orbiting.

• absolute magnitude

  (astronomy) the magnitude that a star would have if it were viewed from a distance...

• anomaly

  (astronomy) position of a planet as defined by its angular distance from its perihelion...

• ascension

  (astronomy) the rising of a star above the horizon.

• astrodynamics

  The branch of astronomy that studies the motion of natural and artificial bodies in...

More Connections

• stargazer

  A physicist who studies astronomy.