An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

An extremely faint and broad ring (in fact two rings) of tiny particles around → Jupiter lying just outside the main ring.

Etymology (EN): Gossamer “a film of cobwebs floating in air in calm clear weather; an extremely delicate variety of gauze, used esp. for veils,” from M.E. gossomer, from gos “goose” + somer “summer.” Possibly first used as name for late, mild autumn, a time when goose was a favorite dish, then transferred to the cobwebs frequent at that time of year; → ring.

Etymology (PE): Halqé, → ring; tanté “cobweb, spider’s web,” from tanidan “to spin, twist, weave” (Mid.Pers. tanitan; Av. tan- to stretch, extend;" cf. Skt. tan- to spin, stretch;" tanoti “stretches,” tantram “loom;” Gk. teinein “to stretch, pull tight;” L. tendere “to stretch;”
PIE base *ten- “to stretch”), Pers. târ “string,” tur “fishing net, net, snare,” and tâl “thread” (Borujerdi dialect) belong to this family; variants tanta “cobweb,” tanadu, tafen, kartané, kârtané, kâtené,
Pashtu tanistah “cobweb;” cf. Skt. tantu- “cobweb, thread, string.”