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

1) To break something up into smaller parts.
2) To separate a mixture into ingredients or portions having different properties, as by distillation or otherwise.

From → fraction + -ate a suffix forming verbs or nouns, from L. -atus, -ata, -atum.

Barxândan, from barx, barxé, → fraction, + -ândan suffix of transitive verbs.

1) Any of various methods of separating the components of a mixture into fractions of different properties.
2) → isotope fractionation

Verbal noun from → fractionate.

The first modern refracting telescope which had an outstanding quality. It was built in 1824 by Fraunhofer for the Russian Imperial Observatory in Dorpat, now Tartu in Estonia. It had a 23-cm → achromatic lens and a German-type → equatorial mounting driven by a clockwork. Wilhelm Struve (1793-1864) used the refractor to observe many → visual binaries, and attempted to measure the distances of stars through their visual → parallaxes. He also obtaibned accurate values for the diameters of the → Galilean satellites of → Jupiter.

Named after Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787-1826), German optician and physicist; → refractor.

The diffraction effects obtained when either the source of light or observing screen, or both, are at a finite distance from diffracting aperture or obstacle. → Fraunhofer diffraction.

Named after Jean Augustin Fresnel (1788-1827), French physicist, a key figure in establishing the wave theory of light. His earlier work on interference was carried out in ignorance of that of Thomas Young (1773-1829), English physician and physicist, but later they corresponded and were allies; → diffraction.

Any of the four interactions in nature between bodies of matter and that are mediated by one or more particles. Also called the → fundamental force. In order of decreasing strength, the four fundamental interactions are the → strong interaction, the → electromagnetic interaction, the → weak interaction, and the → gravitational interaction.

→ fundamental; → interaction.

1) Of or pertaining to a → galaxy.
2) Usually with capital G, pertaining to our galaxy, the → Milky Way.

Adjective of → galaxy.

The point in the → Galactic plane that lies directly opposite the → Galactic center. It lies in the constellation → Auriga at approximately R.A. 05h 46m, Dec. +28° 56'.

→ galactic; → anticenter.

An elongated bar-shaped structure composed of stars present in some spiral galaxies. About two-third of such galaxies contain bars that cross their centers. Bars, like → spiral arms, result from a → density wave in which stars take very elliptical orbits. They form when the → galactic disk dominates the → galactic bulge, → Ostriker-Peebles criterion. Bars play an extremely important role in a galaxy's evolution. The gravity from a bar is the mechanism that drives → interstellar gas from the outer parts of a → spiral galaxy inward toward the central regions, and into the galactic nucleus itself. This causes tremendous bursts of star formation. Therefore, a majority of massive stars are born in such starbursts in the nuclei of galaxies. Bars may also channel the material that falls into black holes within active galactic nuclei, releasing enormous power in radiation and particles from tiny regions at the centers of some galaxies. Bars disappear as galactic centers grow more massive (after some 2 to 8 Gyr).

→ galactic; → bar.

The central → galaxy bulge of the → Milky Way.

→ galactic; → bulge.

1) The rotational center of the → Milky Way galaxy located in the direction of the → Sagittarius constellation at a distance of 7.62 ± 0.32 kpc (2005, ApJ 628, 246). Its equatorial coordinates (J2000 epoch) are: R.A. 17h45m40.04s, Dec. -29° 00' 28.1''. The Sun orbits around the Galactic center once every 200 million years at a speed of 220 km per second. It is believed that there is a → supermassive black hole at the Galactic center.
2) The innermost region of a → spiral galaxy characterized by high number of stars per unit volume. The center may contain a → supermassive black hole.

→ galactic; → center.

One of the three massive clusters located toward the → Galactic center: → Quintuplet cluster, → Arches cluster, → Central cluster. Heavily extinguished by the presence of dust clouds and only accessible at infrared (and longer) wavelengths or in X-rays, each of these clusters has a population of more than a hundred → massive stars. The three clusters are similar in most respects, each containing about 10⁴ solar masses in stars. The Arches cluster is younger than the two others.

→ galactic; → center; → cluster.

1) Same as → open cluster.
2) same as → cluster of galaxies.

→ galactic; → cluster.

A system of astronomical coordinates using → latitude (b^II) measured north and south from the → Galactic equator and → longitude (l^II), measured from the → Galactic Center in the sense of increasing → right ascension from 0 to 360 degrees. In the old system (l^I,b^I), the Galactic center was at l^I = 327°41'. Same as → galactic system.

→ galactic; → coordinate.

The flattened component of a → spiral galaxy which is composed of stars and concentrations of dust and molecules. → Star formation takes place mainly in the disk.

→ galactic; → disk.

The study of the → motions of the → stars, → gas, and → dark matter in a → galaxy to explain the main → morphological and → kinematical features of the galaxy.

→ galactic; → dynamics.

The great circle in the sky defined by the place of the → Galactic plane or the → Milky Way. At an angle of about 62°, the Galactic equator intersects the celestial equator at two points located in the constellations → Monoceros and → Aquila.

→ galactic; → equator.

A region of the Galaxy whose boundaries are set by its calm and safe environment and access to the chemical materials necessary for building terrestrial planets similar to the Earth. → circumstellar habitable zone; → habitable zone.

→ galactic, → habitable; → zone.

A roughly spherical aggregation of → globular clusters, as well as the oldest stars and unseen mass that surrounds the Galaxy.

→ galactic, → halo.

In the → Galactic coordinate system, the angle between the line of sight to an object and the → Galactic equator. Galactic latitude, usually represented by the symbol b^II, ranges from +90 degrees to -90 degrees.

→ galactic; → latitude.

In the → Galactic coordinate system, the angle between the → Galactic Center and the projection of the object on the → Galactic plane. Galactic longitude, usually represented by the symbol l^II, ranges from 0 degrees to 360 degrees.

→ galactic; → longitude.