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

A combining form meaning "large, long, great, excessive," used in the formation of compound words; opposite of → micro-.

From Gk. makros "long, large," from PIE base *mak-/*mek- "long, thin" (cf. L. macer "lean, thin;" O.N. magr, O.E. mæger "lean, thin").

Dorošt "large; rough, fierce," from Mid.Pers. društ "harsh, coarse;" O.Pers. darš- "to dare," daršam (adv.) "mightily;" Av. darš- "to dare," darši-, daršita- "bold, strong;" cf. Skt. dhars- "to be bold, courageous, to attack," dhrsita- "bold, daring;" Gk. thrasys "bold;" O.E. durran; E. dare.

The great world or Universe; the Universe considered as a whole (opposed to → microcosm).
A representation of a smaller unit or entity by a larger one, presumably of a similar structure.

→ macro-; → cosmos.

A stellar → explosion with energies between those of a → nova and a → supernova and observationally distinguished by being brighter than a typical nova (M_V ~ -8 mag) but fainter than a typical supernova (M_V ~ -19 mag) (Kulkarni 2005; arXiv:astro-ph/0510256).

→ macro-; → nova.

Of or relating to scales large enough to be visible to the naked eye or under low order of magnification. Compare → microscopic. → microscopic state.

→ macro-; → -scope + → -ic.

Same as → macrostate.

→ macroscopic; → state.

Statistical physics: A state of a physical system that is described in terms of the system's overall or average properties at a macroscopic level (→ temperature, → pressure, → density, → internal energy, etc.). A macrostate will generally consist of many different → microstates. In defining a macrostate we ignore what is going on at the microscopic (atomic/molecular) level. The → probability of a certain macrostate is determined by how many microstates correspond to this macrostate. Therefore, the greater the number of microstates which lead to a particular macrostate, the greater the probability of observing that macrostate. Same as → macroscopic state. See also → entropy, → Boltzmann's entropy formula, → multiplicity.

→ macro-; → state.

The broadening of a star's → spectral lines due to → Doppler shifts from motions of different parts of the star's atmosphere.

→ macro; → turbulence.