NEREUS -a Near-Earth asteroid that is about 0.6 to 1.25 miles (1-2 km) in diameter. It has an orbital period of 1.82 yrs and a semimajor axis of 1.490 A

Second - A unit of time based on the rotation of Earth equal to 1/86400 of a mean solar day. Also a measure of latitude and longitude equal to 1/3600 of a degree and commonly denoted an arcsecond.

Day-a unit of time based on one rotation of the earth.

 

(Are we getting desperate?)

Yes - An affirmative term used by astronomers when asked a question. Also an expression of delight or happiness, e.g. when Philae landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko some controllers exclaimed "Yes!".

Supermoon- A term used to describe a full moon that occurs during the Moon's closest approach to the Earth. During a supermoon, the Moon may appear slightly larger and brighter than normal.

Naos - also known as Zeta Puppis. An O5 super giant.

Hydrostatic equilibrium-

A state that occurs when compression due to gravity is balanced by a pressure gradient which creates a pressure gradient force in the opposite direction.

 

 

Lenticular Galaxy

A disk-shaped galaxy that contains no conspicuous structure within the disk. Lenticular galaxies tend to look more like elliptical galaxies than spiral galaxies.

 

Oblateness

A measure of flattening at the poles of a planet or other celestial body.

Edited August 2, 201510 yr by Mordred

Just a fun game to play;

 

Rules:

• State a word related to astronomy/astrophysics/cosmology.
• The next person states a word that starts with the letter the previous word ends on.
• Then state an interesting fact about that word.

...

 

MACHO

(Massive Compact Halo Object) -- These are black holes, neutron stars and brown dwarfs, none of which are luminous and all of which are postulated to exist in the halos of galaxies. They are a form of dark matter.

Omicron Eridani

A triple star that lies 16 light-years away

Inferior Planet- A planet that orbits between the Earth and the Sun. Mercury and Venus are the only two inferior planets in our solar system.

Titania fourth satellite of Uranus

Alnitak - A multiple star at the East end of Orion's belt. 'Alnitak' is Arabic for girdle. The primary star is a hot blue supergiant estimated at 33 times the mass and 20 times the diameter of our Sun.

kirkwood gaps

Regions in the asteroid zone which have been swept clear of asteroids by the perturbing effects of Jupiter

Synodic Month -The period of time it takes the Moon to make one complete revolution around the Earth. A Synodic month is equal to 29.53 days and is measured as the time between a lunar phase and the return of that same phase.

Hertzsprung-Russel Diagram- a graph whose horizontal axis plots star color (or temperature) against a vertical axis plotting stellar luminosity (or absolute magnitude)

M-31 in Andromeda

 

Popularly known as the Andromeda galaxy, It is actually found in the Andromeda constellation, hence its popular name.

Actual name is #31 in the Messier catalogue.

Edited August 4, 201510 yr by MigL

Algol - An eclipsing multiple star in the constellation Perseus and one of the first variable stars ever discovered. It is also known as 'the Demon Star'.

Lenticular Galaxy- A disk-shaped galaxy that contains no conspicuous structure within the disk. Lenticular galaxies tend to look more like elliptical galaxies than spiral galaxies.

Yang-Mills Theories

Also known as gauge theories, also used in GUT theories. Of primary importance in particle physics

Sidereal time

 

Timekeeping based on the rotating motion of the Earth against the 'fixed' stars.

e-Folding is the time interval in which an exponentially growing quantity increases by a factor of e (e = roughly 2.718). Roughly 60 e folds in inflation.

Edited August 4, 201510 yr by Mordred

Galactic Halo- The name given to the spherical region surrounding the center, or nucleus of a galaxy.

Omega nebula Also known as the Swan Nebula, M17, NGC 6618, the Horseshoe Nebula, and the Lobster Nebula.

Astrochemistry- The branch of science that explores the chemical interactions between dust and gas interspersed between the stars.