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

The point in the orbit of the moon or an artificial satellite that is farthest from the terrestrial center and at which the body's velocity is at a minimum.

From Fr. apogée, from L. apogæum, from Gk. apogaion "away from the earth," from → apo- "off, away" + gaia/ge "earth." According to Dehxodâ, the term owj used in Persian is neither Ar. nor Skt. (contrary to the opinions of Khwarazi and Biruni respectively), but the corrupt form of the above Gk. term.

Apâzam, from apâ-, → apo-, + Av. zam- "the earth," Mid.Pers. zamig, Mod.Pers. zami, zamin "the earth;" cf. Skt. ksam, Gk. khthôn, khamai "on the ground," L. homo "earthly being" and humus "the earth" (as in homo sapiens or homicide, humble, humus, exhume); PIE root *dh(e)ghom "earth".

An eclipse (of the Sun or Moon) which takes place when the Moon is at the → apogee of its orbit. The solar apogee eclipses, when they are not partial, are always → annular. The maximum duration of an apogee solar eclipse is 6h 15m (between the → first contact and the → fourth contact). The maximum duration of a lunar apogee eclipse, between the two exterior contacts of the Moon with the → penumbra, is 6h 18m (the maximum totality being 1h 44m) (M.S.: SDE).

→ apogee; → eclipse.

The → full Moon when our natural satellite is at its farthest position from the Earth. The difference in apparent size with respect to the → perigee full Moon represents a difference in distance of just under 50,000 km between → apogee and → perigee, given the Moon's average distance of about 385,000 km. Also called → full micro Moon.

→ apogee; → full; → moon.