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

The study of the surface features of Mars; the geography of Mars.

Areography, from Gk. Ares "Mars" + → -graphy.

Bahrâm-negâri, from Bahrâm "Mars" + -negâri→ -graphy.

The study of the origin, history, and structure of Mars; the geology of Mars.

Areology, from Gk. Ares "Mars" + → -logy.

Bahrâm-šenâsi, from Bahrâm "Mars" + -šenâsi→ -logy.

A → sequence of n numbers or quantities such that the difference between any two successive terms is a constant. In particular, if a is the first term, the nth term is a + (n - 1)d, where d is the constant. Also called → arithmetic sequence.

→ arithmetic; → progression.

An ancient instrument, used since ancient times until the Middle ages and later, to determine positions of celestial bodies. It consisted of an assemblage of rings, all circles of the same sphere, designed to represent the positions of the important circles of the celestial sphere.

L. armillarius, from armilla "arm ring, bracelet," from armus "arm" + → sphere.

Zâtolhelaq from Ar. "multi-ringed," from zât "holder, keeper" + helaq "rings," from halqah "ring."

A family of strong infrared emission bands at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, 11.3, and 12.7 μm which are widely observed in a large variety of objects, such as → H II regions, → reflection nebulae, → planetary nebulae, and the → diffuse interstellar medium of our galaxy and other galaxies. Solar system objects, such as carbonaceous → meteorites and → interplanetary dust particles are also known to display these features. They are suggested to be due to → polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

→ aromatic; → infrared; → band.

1) To declare earnestly to; inform or tell positively; state with confidence to.
2) To give confidence to; encourage.

M.E. as(e)uren, assuren, from O.Fr. aseurer, from L.L. assecurare, from as-, variant of → ad-, + secur-, → secure, + -a- thematic vowel, + -re infinitive suffix.

Âtenzidan, from â- intensive prefix, + tenz, → sure, + -idan infinitive suffix, → -ize.

A layer of soft, partly molten, rock in the → Earth's mantle, located at a depth of 100 to 250 km, over which the more rigid plates of the → lithosphere are in motion.

Asthenosphere, from Gk. asthenes "weak" + → sphere.

Sostsepehr, from sost "weak, tender" + sepehr, → sphere.

The → angular → displacement of a point on the → celestial sphere due to the Earth's → atmospheric refraction.

→ astronomical; → refraction.

The phenomenon wherein the → quarks within a → hadron get closer together, the force of containment gets weaker so that it asymptotically approaches zero for close confinement. According to → quantum chromodynamics, the quarks in close confinement are completely free to move about. On the contrary, the further we try to force the quarks apart, the greater the force of containment. The 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to David Gross, Frank Wilczek, and David Politzer for their discovery of asymptotic freedom. This discovery established quantum chromodynamics as the correct theory of the → strong interaction.

→ asymptotic; → freedom.

1) The gaseous envelope surrounding a star, planet, or moon. Several solar system planets retain considerable atmospheres, due to their strong gravitational force. The gas motions in the planetary atmosphere, as a response to the heating, coupled with the rotation forces, generate the meteorological systems. The planetary satellites → Titan and → Triton also have atmospheres (M.S.: SDE).
2) A unit of pressure, called standard atmosphere, which is the pressure of air balanced by a column of mercury 76 cm high with a density of the mercury of 13.595 g/cm³ at normal acceleration of gravity. Such a column applies a pressure equal to its weight to each square cm, or 1.01325 x 10⁶ dynes/cm² = 1.01325 x 10⁵ N/m². Since this pressure is equal to 1.03323 kilograms of force per square centimeter, instead of it use is often made of the technical atmosphere (at), exactly equal to 1 kgf/cm².

New L. atmosphaera, from Gk. atmos "vapor" + spharia "sphere."

Havâsepehr, from Mod.Pers. havâ, → air, + sepehr, → sphere. Javv "air, atmosphere," from Ar. jauw.

The shift in apparent direction of a celestial object caused by the bending of light while passing through the Earth's atmosphere. Since the density of the atmosphere decreases with altitude, the starlight will bend more as it continues down through the atmosphere. As a result, a star will appear higher in the sky than its true direction.

→ atmospheric; → refraction.

The aurora in the Northern hemisphere, also called as Northern Lights.

→ aurora; → north.

1) In radio astronomy, a process performed by an → autocorrelator.
2) In statistics, a linear relation between values of a random variable over time.
3) In electronics, a technique used to detect cyclic activity in a complex signal.

Autocorrelation, from → auto- "self" + → correlation.

Xod-hambâzâneš, from xod- "self" + hambâzâneš, → correlation.

A mathematical function that describes the correlation between two values of the same variable at different points in time.

→ autocorrelation; → function.

In radio astronomy, a spectrograph which correlates the signal with itself with various time delays, and extracts the frequency spectrum of the signal. → correlator.

Autocorrelator, agent n. from → autocorrelate + → -or.

Xod-hambâzângar, agent n. from xod-, → auto-, + hambâzângar, → correlator.

Having knowledge; conscious; informed; alert. → awareness.

M.E., variant of iwar, O.E. gewær; cf. O.S. giwar, M.Du. gheware, O.H.G. giwar, Ger. gewahr.

Âgâh "aware, knowing," related to negâh "look, attention;" Mid.Pers. âkâh; Av. ākas- "to look;" Proto-Iranian *kas- "to look, appear;" cf. Skt. kāś- "to become visible, appear;" Gk. tekmar, tekmor "sign, mark;"

The state or condition of being aware; having knowledge; consciousness (Dictionary.com).
See also: → Space Situational Awareness.

→ aware; → -ness.

1) A change in the orientation of the → rotation axis of a non-spherical, spinning body caused by → gravity. A rotating top will precess in a direction determined by the → torque exerted by its → weight. The precession → angular velocity is inversely proportional to the spin angular velocity, so that the precession is faster and more pronounced as the top slows down.
2) In particular, the gradual shift in the orientation of Earth's rotation axis which traces out a conical path once every ~ 26,000 years. The cause of the Earth's precession is the → equatorial bulge of the Earth, brought about by the → centrifugal force of the → rotation, which has changed the Earth from a perfect sphere to a slightly flattened one, thicker across the equator. The attraction of the Moon and Sun on the bulge is the reason which makes the Earth precess.

→ axial; → precession.

The light that has undergone → backscattering.

→ backscatter; → backscattering.

The intensity ratio among the couple of relatively adjacent → Balmer lines, for example Hα/Hβ and Hβ/Hγ, which have well-known theoretical values. They are used to determine the → interstellar extinction.

→ Balmer; → decrement.