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

A certain place whose characteristics, as to location, altitude, atmospheric conditions, etc., make it appropriate for astronomical observations.

→ astronomical; → site.

Made up of distinct components. The components may retain part of their identities. → compound, → combination.

From O.Fr. composite, from L. compositus, p.p. of componere "to put together," → compose.

Hamnehâdé, p.p. of hamnehâdan→ compose.

A whole number which is the product of whole numbers other than itself and 1. The opposite of prime number. → compound number.

→ composite; → number.

A stellar population consisting of more than one → simple population. Also called complex population.

→ composite; → population.

A stellar spectrum displaying lines characterising two stars of different types.

→ composite; → spectrum.

1) Situated, placed, or lying face to face with something else or each other, or in corresponding positions with relation to an intervening line, space, or thing: opposite ends of a room (Dictionary.com).
2) Contrary or radically different in some respect common to both, as in nature, qualities, direction, result, or significance; opposed (Dictionary.com).
3) An → antonym.

M.E., from M.Fr., from L. oppositus, p.p. of opponere, → opposition.

1) Ru-be-ru "face to face," → surface.
2) Pârun, short for pâdrun, from pâd-, → counter, + -run "side, direction" (as in birun, darun, vârun), → out.
3) Pâdcem, → antonym.

A class of → iron meteorite containing → olivine crystals.

Named after the German naturalist Peter Pallas (1741-1811), who first studied such a type of meteorites.

A → spectroscopic phenomenon observed when either an → eclipsing binary's → secondary star or an → extrasolar planet is seen to → transit across the face of the → primary body. Because of the rotation of the star, an asymmetric distortion takes place in the → line profiles of the stellar spectrum, which changes during the transit. The measurement of this effect can be used to derive the → alignment of the → orbit of the transiting exoplanet with respect to the → rotation axis of the star.

Named after Richard Alfred Rossiter (1886-1977) and Dean Benjamin McLaughlin (1901-1965), American astronomers.

The position or location of a building, observatory, etc. especially as to its environment. → astronomical site.

M.E., from L situs "position, arrangement, site," from sinere "to let, leave alone, permit," cognate with Av. šiti- "place, abode, residence," as below.

Sit, from Av. šiti- "place, abode, residence," šitāy- "habitation, dwelling," from ši- "to live;" cognate with Skt. ksay- "to live, to stay," kséti "he dwells;" Gk. ktizein "to inhabit, build;" L. situs "position, site; situated."

The process of choosing a site for an astronomical observatory based on meteorology, seeing conditions, and access to the site.

→ site; → selection.