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

1) An imperfection in the imaging properties of a → lens or → mirror. The main aberrations are → chromatic aberration, → spherical aberration, → coma, → astigmatism, → distortion, and → field curvature.
2) → aberration of starlight.
See also: → aberration angle→ aberration constan→ aberration of starlight→ aberration orbit→ annual aberration→ chromatic aberration→ constant of aberration→ diurnal aberration→ optical aberration→ planetary aberration→ relativistic aberration→ secular aberration→ spherical aberration→ stellar aberration.

Aberration, from L. aberrationem, from aberrare "go astray," → aberrate.

Birâheš, from birâidan, → aberrate.

The angle tilt required by the → stellar aberration phenomenon in order that a moving telescope points directly to a star.

→ aberration; → angle.

Same as → constant of aberration.

→ aberration; → constant.

→ aberration of starlight

→ aberration; → light.

An apparent displacement in the observed position of a star. It is a result of the finite speed of light combined with the relative motion of the Earth through space. Suppose that you walk through a vertically falling rain with an umbrella over your head. The faster you walk, the further you must lower the umbrella in front of yourself to prevent the rain from striking your face. For starlight to enter a telescope, a similar phenomenon must occur, because the Earth is in motion. The telescope must be tilted in the direction of motion by an angle: tan θ =(v/c), where v the Earth velocity and c the speed of light. The aberration of starlight was discovered by the English astronomer James Bradley (1693-1762) in 1729 by observing → Gamma Draconis. The tilt angle is θ = 20''.50, from which the Earth's orbital speed, 29.80 km s^-1, can be deduced, using the above equation. See also → annual aberration; → diurnal aberration; → secular aberration. → Special relativity modifies the classical formula for aberration, predicting results which differ substantially from those of classical physics for objects moving at a substantial fraction of the speed of light; → relativistic aberration.

→ aberration; → star; → light.

The apparent path described by a star on the → celestial sphere due → annual aberration. A star at the → ecliptic pole is seen to move around a circle of angular radius about 20".50, once a year. A star on the → ecliptic oscillates to and fro along a line of angular half-length 20".50. At an intermediate → celestial latitude, β, the aberration orbit is an ellipse, with semi-major axis 20".50 and semi-minor axis (20".50) sin β.

→ aberration; → orbit.

Of or pertaining to → aberration.

→ aberration; → -al.

A → Besselian day number denoted by C or D.

→ aberration; → -al; → day; → number.

The → locus of points on the → celestial sphere occupied by a star during the annual → revolution of the → Earth about the → Sun due to → annual aberration. annual aberration.

→ aberrational; → ellipse.

For a body that moves with respect to a rotating → reference frame, the vector sum of the observed acceleration, the → Coriolis acceleration, and the → centrifugal acceleration. See also the → Coriolis theorem.

→ absolute; → acceleration.

For a spatial object, the ratio between its absorption of solar radiation and its infrared emission.

→ absorptivity; → emissivity; → ratio.

The rate at which the velocity of an object changes with time.

Acceleration, from accelerate, from L. accelerare "quicken," from → ad- "to" + celerare "hasten," from celer "swift" (cf. Skt. car, carati "to move, go, drive," Gk. keles "fast horse, horse race," Av. kar- "to walk, move, go around," Mod.Pers. cal, calidan "to move, to go, to walk" (jald? "quick, active, brisk"), Gilaki/Hamadâni jal "quick, fast,"Lori žil "motion, impulse"); PIE *kel- "to drive, set in swift motion."

Šetâb "quickness, haste, speed," Mid.Pers. ôštâp "hurry, haste," ôštâftan "to hurry, hasten," from *abi.stap-, from abi- " to; in addition to; against" + *stap- "to oppress," Arm. (loanword) štap "haste, trouble."

The acceleration that an object experiences because of gravity when it falls freely close to the surface of a massive body, such as a planet. Same as → gravitational acceleration.

→ acceleration; → gravity.

A measure of the departure from a constant rate of the acceleration of the Universe, expressed by: q(t) = R(t)R ^..(t)/R ^.2(t), where R(t) represents the size of the Universe at time t. Traditionally, a negative sign is inserted in the above equation for the → deceleration parameter.

→ acceleration; → parameter.

1) A jumbled cluster or mass of varied parts.
2) The act or process of agglomerating (Dictionary.com).

Verbal noun of → agglomerate.

1) The act or process of altering; the state of being altered.
2) The result of altering.

Verbal noun of → alter.

The rate of change of → angular velocity. It is equal to the → first derivative of the → angular velocity: α = dω/dt =d²θ/dt² = a_t/r, where θ is the angle rotated, a_t is the linear tangential acceleration, and r is the radius of circular path.

→ angular; → acceleration.

Same as → angular distance.

→ angular; → separation.

The apparent, small displacement in position of a star during the year due to the → aberration of starlight. It depends on the → celestial latitude, and its maximum value is about 20''.50. See also → constant of aberration; → aberration orbit.

→ annual; → aberration.

The ratio of the effective diameter of a lens or mirror to its focal length.

→ aperture; → ratio.