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

A circular orbit around the Earth identical to a geostationary orbit except that the satellite's orbit does not necessarily lie in the Earth's equatorial plane.

→ geo-; → synchronous; → orbit.

1) Going on at the same rate and exactly together. Compare → simultaneous.
2) Having the same period and phase of oscillation or cyclic movement.

From L. synchronus "simultaneous," from Gk. synchronos "happening at the same time," from → syn- "together" + khronos "time."

Hamgâm literally "at the same pace," from ham-, → syn-, + gâm "step, pace," Mid.Pers. gâm, O.Pers. gam- "to come; to go," Av. gam- "to come; to go," jamaiti "goes," Mod.Pers. âmadan "to come," Skt. gamati "goes," Gk. bainein "to go, walk, step," L. venire "to come," Tocharian A käm- "to come," O.H.G. queman "to come," E. come; PIE root *gwem- "to go, come."

→ synchronous rotation.

→ synchronous; → orbit.

Of a body orbiting another, where the orbiting body takes as long to rotate on its axis as it does to make one orbit. Therefore it always keeps the same hemisphere pointed at the body it is orbiting. Both bodies are tidally locked (→ tidal locking). This phenomenon is a natural consequence of → tidal braking. Synchronous rotation is common throughout the → solar system. It is found among the satellites of → Mars (→ Phobos and → Deimos), → Jupiter (most of Jupiter satellites, including the → Galilean Moons) and → Saturn (e.g. → Iapetus). Similarly, → Pluto and its moon → Charon are locked in mutual synchronous rotation, with both of them keeping the same faces towards each other.

→ synchronous; → rotation.