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

A NASA lander designed to study the interior of the planet Mars. It will be a stationary mission, in contrast to NASA's famous Opportunity, Spirit and Curiosity rovers. Staying in place is necessary for its major science goals, which include learning more about the Martian composition, and how tectonically active the red planet is. InSight launched toward Mars on May 5, 2018, landed on Nov. 26, 2018, at the Martian Elysium Planitia, an equatorial zone just south of an ancient volcanic area. InSight will send back data about Mars' interior for about 1 Mars year, or 728 Earth-days. The lander uses sophisticated instruments, to delve deep beneath the surface and seek the fingerprints of the processes that formed the terrestrial planets. It does so by carrying out → seismology, heat flow measurements, and precision tracking.

InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport; → mission.

The imaginary straight line connecting the object and the objective lens of the viewing device.

→ line; → sight.

The act or fact of seeing; field of vision. → line of sight.

M.E., from O.E. gesiht, gesihð "thing seen;" cf. Dan. sigte, Swed. sigt, M.Du. sicht, Du. zicht, O.H.G. siht, Ger. Sicht, Gesicht, related to → sign.

Did "sight, vision," past stem of didan "to see" (Mid.Pers. ditan "to see, regard, catch sight of, contemplate, experience;" O.Pers. dī- "to see;" Av. dā(y)- "to see," didāti "sees;" cf. Skt. dhī- "to perceive, think, ponder; thought, reflection, meditation," dādhye; Gk. dedorka "have seen").

→ line of sight.

→ sight; → line.

The act or occasion of catching sight of a UFO.

→ UFO; sighting, from sight, M.E. from O.E. sihth; cf. Dan. sigte, Swed. sigt, Du. zicht, O.H.G. siht, Ger. Sicht, Gesicht, related to see.

Didâr "sight, vision," verbal noun from didan "to see" (Mid.Pers. ditan "to see, regard, catch sight of, contemplate, experience;" O.Pers. dī- "to see;" Av. dā(y)- "to see," didāti "sees;" cf. Skt. dhī- "to perceive, think, ponder; thought, reflection, meditation," dādhye; Gk. dedorka "have seen").