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

An annual → meteor shower that takes place within the boundaries constellation → Capricornus near the star named Alpha. The meteor shower is visible between July 03 and August 15 with the peak occurring on July 30. Alpha Capricornids meteors are bright and often include spectacular colorful → fireballs.

→ alpha; → Capricornus.

→ Tropic of Capricorn.

→ Capricornus.

The Sea Goat. The smallest → constellation of the → Zodiac, lying in the Southern Hemisphere at approximately R.A. 21h, Dec. -20°. Abbreviation Cap; genitive form Capricorni.

L. Capricornus "horned like a goat," from caper "goat" + cornu "horn" (Gk. karnon, Skt. srnga-, Av. sru-, srvâ-, Mid.Pers. sruw, Mod.Pers. soru, P.Gmc. *khurnaz, Ger. Horn, E. horn, PIE *ker- "head, horn, top, summit"), a translation of Gk. Aigokheros, the name of the constellation.

Vahig, Mid.Pers. "goat," the name of the Capricorn sign in Mid.Pers. texts, Mod.Pers. bahi, as mentioned by Biruni in his Athar al-Baqia written around A.D. 1000.

A parallel of latitude on the Earth, 23°26' south of the equator, where the Sun is directly overhead on the southern → summer solstice (around the 21st December each year), because the Sun reaches its most southerly declination. Some 3,000 years ago, this occurred when Sun was in the → Zodiac constellation → Cancer, hence the name. However, → precession has resulted in a shift of the position of the Sun so that it is now in the constellation → Sagittarius on the northern → winter solstice.

→ tropic; → Capricorn.