An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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Any method of measuring the age of an event or object in years. For example, in geology, this method can, unlike → relative dating, give us the age of a rock or fossil in x number of years. The most widely used and accepted method of absolute dating is → radioactive dating. See also: → radiocarbon dating, → radiometric dating.

→ absolute; → dating.

The act or practice of abstaining from indulging a desire or appetite.

Verbal noun of → abstain.

Moving or proceeding with → acceleration; e.g. → accelerating system; → accelerating Universe.

Verbal adj. from → accelerate.

→ accelerating Universe.

→ accelerating; → expansion; → Universe.

A material system that is subject to a constant force in each and every one of its instantaneous points of trajectory.

→ accelerating; → system.

The deduction based on the observation that the most distant → Type Ia supernovae are fainter than that expected from their → redshifts in a matter-only dominated expanding Universe. The faintness is attributed to larger distances resulting from an accelerating Universe driven by presence of a new component with strongly negative pressure. This component that makes the Universe accelerate is named → dark energy. The deceleration or acceleration of an expanding Universe, given by the general relativistic equation, is: R^../R = -(4/3)πGρ(1 + 3w), where R is the linear → cosmic scale factor of the expanding Universe, G the → gravitational constant, ρ the mean density of the Universe, and w the → equation of state parameter representing dark energy. The expansion accelerates whenever w is more negative than -1/3. The Nobel Prize in Physics 2011 was awarded to the initiators of this concept, Saul Perlmutter, Brian P. Schmidt, and Adam G. Riess, for their discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae. See also the original paper: Perlmutter et al. 1999, ApJ 517, 565.

→ accelerating; → universe.

That → accretes, such as → accreting star and → accreting neutron star.

Adjective from → accrete + → -ing.

A → neutron star in a → binary system that accretes matter from the → campion star, either from the → stellar wind or from an → accretion disk that forms if the companion overflows its → Roche lobe. The → gravitational energy from the infalling matter provides at least part of the energy for the observed radiation and the accretion torques dominate the spin evolution. Despite these common properties, accreting → neutron stars display a wide variety of behaviors, depending on the neutron star → magnetic field strength, mass of the companion and properties of → accretion (A. K. Harding, 2013, Front. Phys. 8, 679).

→ accreting; → neutron; → star.

The star which → accretes matter, particularly in its protostellar phase or in a close binary system.

→ accreting; → star.

The setting of a star at nightfall. → heliacal setting.

→ acronical; → setting.

Any member of the group of → chemical elements with → atomic numbers from 89 (→ actinium) to 103 (→ lawrencium), analogous to the → lanthanides.

From the chemical element → actinium.

A silver-white radioactive → chemical element; symbol Ac. The first member of the → actinide series of the → periodic table. → Atomic number 89; → atomic weight 227.0278; → melting point about 1,050°C; → boiling point 3,200°C ± 300°C; → specific gravity 10.07; → valence +3. It is found with uranium minerals in pitchblende. Its longest lived → isotope is ²²⁷Ac with a → half-life of 21.77 years.

From actin-, variant of actino-, from Gk. aktinos "ray, beam" + → -ium. The discovery of actinium is shared between two chemists who independently found the element. The earlier discovery was made by the French chemist André Debierne (1874-1949) in 1899 in pitchblende residues left after Pierre and Marie Curie had extracted → radium. The element was rediscovered in 1902 by the German chemist Friedrich Otto Giesel (1852-1927), who called it emanium.

Any instrument for measuring the intensity of radiation, especially that of the Sun, in its thermal, chemical, and luminous aspects.

Actinometer, from actino- combining form with the meaning "ray, beam," from Gk. aktis, aktin "ray," + → -meter.

Partow, → ray; + -sanj, → -meter.

A → telescope mounting which has its two axes of movement aligned with the → horizon and the → zenith.

→ mounting; → mounting.

Occuring in a successive manner. Acting or proceeding by turns. → alternating current.

Verbal adj. from → alternate; → -ing.

An → electric current that reverses direction of flow at regular intervals. The typical alternating current is → sinusoidal in shape. Alternating current has the advantage over → direct current in that its → voltage magnitude can be changed easily through a → transformer. Moreover, it is safer to transfer over the longer city distances and can provide more → power. The frequency of alternating current is 50 Hz (Europe) or 60 Hz (USA).

→ alternating; → current.

Same as → altazimuth mounting.

→ altitude; → azimuth; → mounting.

The → antiparticle counterpart of the → neutrino.

→ anti-; → neutrino.

The → antiparticle of the → neutron. It has the same mass, → spin, and → electric charge (zero) as the neutron but has opposite → baryon number (+1 for neutron, -1 for the antineutron). This is because the antineutron is composed of → antiquarks, while neutrons are composed of → quarks. The antineutron consists of one up antiquark and two down antiquarks.

→ anti-; → neutron.

The position of maximum → amplitude midway between two adjacent → nodes in a → standing wave.

→ anti-; → node.