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

The slight erosion of Solar System bodies (planets, moons, asteroids) caused by the → solar wind, → cosmic rays, and → micrometeorite bombardments. Space weathering affects the physical and optical properties of the surfaces of these bodies. Understanding this process is therefore important for the interpretation of remotely obtained spectral data, such as space probe photographs of outer Solar System moons.

→ space; → weathering.

Geology: The various processes, such as the actions of wind, rain, temperature changes and so forth, which mechanically and chemically cause exposed rocks to decompose.

From → weather + → -ing.

Sâyand, from sâyidan "to touch, to rub," variants sâbidan, pasâvidan; Khotanese sauy- "to rub;" Sogdian ps'w- "to touch;" ultimately Proto-Iranian *sau- "to rub."