An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

The pair of colliding galaxies NGC4038 and NGC4039 and the long arcing insect-like “antennae” of luminous matter revealed by optical telescopes. The “antennae” are believed to have been produced by the collision between the galaxies that began about 100 million years ago and is still occurring. The Antennae Galaxies, about 60 million → light-years from Earth, lie in the constellation → Corvus.

Etymology (EN): Antennae, plural of → antenna; → galaxy.

Etymology (PE): Kahkešânhâ, plural of kahkešân→ galaxy; šâxak “insect antenna,” from šâx “horn” (Mid.Pers šâk, cf. Skt. sakha- “a branch, a limb,” Arm. cax, Lit. šaka, O.S. soxa, PIE *kakhâ “branch”) + -ak
suffix denoting relation, affinity, similarity (as in dastak, pos(tak, pas(mak, xarak, nâxonak, mus(ak, eynak);