This dictionary (glossary) will include astronomical terms, which will appear in the articles of this blog in the section. New terms will be constantly added and the article updated. Therefore, if you notice a word that you don’t understand, write it in a comment or email, I will definitely add its definition.
On the Internet you can find a lot of interpretations and definitions of this or that astronomical term, many are given in the form of formulas or entire articles are devoted to them. Anyone who wants to delve deeper into this or that concept will have to look for it themselves in other sources (or ask me). There will also be the most basic theses and an accessible explanation of each of the terms, so that when reading new articles, you can always quickly find and find out what a word you don’t understand means in an accessible language.
A
Aberration- image distortion. Visually, distortions and coloration appear along the edges of the observed object, which create unclear boundaries. Often aberration occurs due to the movement of stars and the Earth relative to each other.
Absolute magnitude (M)- the magnitude that a star would have if it were 10 pc (parsec) distant from the Sun. The range ranges from +18 m to -10 m. The absolute magnitude of the Sun is 4.7 m.
Absorption- absorption of gaseous substances by others (liquid or solid).
Adsorption- an increase in the concentration of a dissolved substance or gas molecules on the surface of a liquid or solid.
Accretion- the fall of matter onto a celestial object under the influence of gravitational attraction.
Albedo- part of the incident radiation that was reflected.
Angstrom- a unit of measurement of length and is equal to 0.1 nanometer or 10 -10 meters.
Annihilation- the collision of a particle and an antiparticle and their transformation into another particle.
Aperture- the diameter of the lens (telescope), more precisely, this is the diameter of the main mirror of the telescope. The larger it is, the greater the magnification, as a rule. Measured in millimeters.
Apogee- the most distant point from the Earth in the orbit of a natural satellite of the Moon or any artificial satellite of the Earth.
Asterism- a group of stars identified separately in a constellation and has an independent name.
Asteroid- a small celestial body of the Solar System that moves in orbit around the Sun. They have an irregular shape and do not exceed 1000 km in diameter.
Astronomical unit (AU)- the average distance from the Earth to the Sun and is approximately 150 million km. To be exact - 149,597,870 km.
Atmosphere- a layer of gas around a planet or its satellite that is held together by gravitational forces.
Aphelion- the most distant point from the Sun in the elliptical orbit of a planet, asteroid or comet.
B
Bulge- the central element of spiral galaxies, the inner and brightest part of the galaxies, mainly consisting of old stars.
Galaxy Bar- a “bar” or elongated condensation of stars and gas that looks like the “branches” of a spiral galaxy.
White dwarf- a star with a mass approximately equal to the mass of the Sun, but two orders of magnitude (i.e. 100 times) smaller in radius.
Blazar- celestial objects with powerful electromagnetic radiation, which are observed around supermassive black holes in the cores of radio and some other galaxies.
Bolide- a bright meteor that leaves behind a trail in the form of smoke and is often accompanied by sound phenomena.
IN
Age of the Universe- the time that has passed since the Big Bang and is approximately equal to 14.7 billion years.
G
Gas giant- a planet that is almost 100% hydrogen and helium. For example, in the solar system it is Saturn or Jupiter.
Galaxy- a stellar system consisting of billions of stars contains large amounts of dust and interstellar gases.
Gamma radiation- electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of up to 0.01 nm.
Giant- a star of enormous size, hundreds of times greater in both mass and diameter than our Sun or stars of the same spectral class.
Globule- a small dark cloud of dust and gas that is the birthplace of new stars.
D
Double star- two nearby stars at a small angular distance from each other.
Jet- a jet of plasma escaping from the center of galaxies, quasars and directed in a perpendicular direction from the object itself. Two jets are observed that are directed in opposite directions.
Galaxy disk- the plane in which most of all the stars and interstellar gas in the galaxy are concentrated.
Diffraction- deviation of a light wave from linear motion.
Z
Illumination of the starry sky- interference from artificial illumination of earthly objects when observing the starry sky at night.
Eclipse- an astronomical phenomenon in which three celestial objects line up in one line: one of the objects covers the other and its shadow is observed on the observed object.
Star is a spherically symmetrical gaseous hot celestial body that is in a state of thermal and hydrostatic equilibrium.
Magnitude(m) is a quantity that determines the brightness of the observed object. The lower the value, the brighter the object. With an increase in stellar magnitude by one unit, the brightness of the observed celestial object decreases by 2.5 times. Under ideal observing conditions (without illumination), the human eye is able to see a star up to 6 m. The zero value is approximately determined by the star Vega. The magnitude can be negative if the object's brightness exceeds that of the star Vega, for example, the Moon at full moon is -12.7 m, and the Sun is -26.7 m bright. Additionally, the concept of absolute magnitude was introduced.
Star system- several stars interconnected by gravitational forces, rotating in closed orbits and having a common center of mass.
star cluster- a large number of stars interconnected by gravitational and other forces. In one cluster, stars can differ both in composition and appearance.
Zenith- a point in the sky located above the observer’s head, spaced 90 degrees from the horizon.
Zenith hour number- a dimensionless quantity characterizing the intensity of the meteor shower and showing the number of falling meteors per hour that an observer could see.
AND
Infrared radiation- electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range from 1 mm to 0.8 microns. Not visible to the human eye.
TO
Quazag- the most distant space objects, very similar to quasars, but do not have any observable radio emission.
Quasar- the brightest and most distant objects in the Universe. They are used to study the structure of our Universe. Their nature, structure and composition are still not precisely known. However, having superluminosity, they can shine brighter than several nearby galaxies at the same time.
Comet- a small, fast-moving celestial body in a highly elongated elliptical orbit. There are meteorite and asteroid comets. They have a pronounced gas tail.
Convection- the process of heat transfer in which hotter substances rise and cooler substances sink to the lower layers.
Brown dwarf- very small stars, much smaller in mass and diameter compared to the Sun. The mass does not exceed 8% of the mass of the Sun. The temperature ranges from 300 to 3000 K.
Spacecraft- a device launched from Earth into space to study the planets, their composition, structure. There are near-Earth and interplanetary ones.
escape velocity— a certain speed value. Distinguish first space mission- this is the speed required for satellites to orbit around a space object (for Earth it is - 7.9 km/s). Second space— the speed required to overcome the gravitational field of a space object and leave it forever (also called “escape speed”). For the Earth it is equal to 11.2 km/s. Thus, in order to get to the Moon, it is necessary to develop a speed of at least the second cosmic speed.
Red dwarf- a small and cold star, the diameter of which should not exceed a third of the Sun. Temperatures can reach 3500 K.
Multiple stars- a system of stars that can consist of 3 to 6 stars connected by gravitational attraction.
M
Magnetar- a neutron star that has a pronounced strong magnetic field. Observed in the form of bursts of X-ray and gamma radiation.
Magnetosphere- a region of space around a celestial cosmic body that is occupied by the body’s own or induced magnetic field.
Interstellar gas- a gaseous environment, mostly rarefied, which fills all the space between the stars.
Interstellar dust- a large number of small, microscopic particles that are found in interstellar gas.
Interstellar medium- fields and matter that fills the space between stars within one galaxy.
Flicker- changes in the intensity of radiation from space objects due to the heterogeneity of the environment, as well as refraction and diffraction of light in the layers of the earth’s atmosphere.
Meteor- a phenomenon that occurs when a small celestial body enters and burns up in the Earth's atmosphere.
Meteorite- a celestial body that fell onto the surface of a large celestial object from space. Mostly they have an irregular shape and very small sizes (most of them burn up in the Earth's atmosphere).
Meteor shower- a set of meteors or a collection of meteorites falling and burning in the Earth's atmosphere.
Mount- a device designed to mount a telescope tube. It is also used to point the telescope to the desired point in the starry sky.
N
Celestial sphere- an imaginary sphere of any (arbitrary radius) on which all stars, nebulae, planets, galaxies and other space objects are “located”.
Neutron star- a star made of neutrons. It has a very high density: with a mass of approximately 1.4 times the mass of the Sun, its dimensions are 10 - 20 km. They are the final stage of the evolution of a high-mass star.
New star- a white dwarf in a binary or multiple system, the brightness of which increased several times (by several magnitudes) as a result of a thermonuclear explosion of gas falling from a neighboring star.
ABOUT
Oort cloud- a spherical cloud that extends 1.5 light years from the outer edge of the Kuiper Belt. It contains trillions of cometary nuclei.
Orbit- the path along which a celestial body moves around another. Example: the planets of the solar system move in orbits around the sun.
P
Parade of planets- a situation in the sky when several planets of the solar system are in close proximity to each other and can be observed in the same celestial sector.
Parsec (pc)- distance equal to 206,265 AU. or 3.26 light years.
Variable star- a star that changes its brightness over time.
Perigee- the point of the orbit of an artificial or natural satellite closest to Earth.
Perihelion- the shaved point of an asteroid, planet or comet closest to the Sun.
Kuiper Belt- the area of the solar system behind the last planet that has small objects such as meteors or comets.
Precession- anticipation of the equinoxes. Gradual displacement of the points of the autumn and spring equinoxes towards the apparent annual movement of the Sun. To paraphrase, in other words, each year the spring equinox occurs earlier than the previous year.
Protostar- a star at the final stage of formation, after which it stops shrinking and becomes constant in its physical size.
Pulsar- a space object that emits periodic powerful electromagnetic pulses. These are usually very fast-spinning neutron stars.
R
Radiant- a point or small area on the celestial sphere from which meteors appear, visible to an observer from Earth during a meteor shower.
Radio galaxy- a galaxy with very strong radio emission, which is emitted from the central part of large and massive nuclei.
Telescope resolution- the minimum distance between point objects that can be distinguished separately through a telescope.
X-ray radiation- electromagnetic radiation in the range between ultraviolet and gamma radiation and has wavelengths from several tens to 0.1 angstroms.
Reflector- a telescope whose lens is a concave mirror. The image in it is upside down.
Refractor- a telescope whose objective is a lens.
WITH
Supergiant- the largest and brightest star. There are blue (young and hot) and red (old with a relatively low temperature).
Supernova- a star whose brightness increases many times over a very short period of time (millions, billions) and then gradually decreases over a long period of time. As a rule, the cause of a flare is the explosion of a star at the last stage of its development.
Luminosity - the amount of energy that a space object emits per unit time. Simply put, this is the radiation power.
Light year- the distance that light travels in 1 year and is equal to 9.46 * 10 15 meters.
Seyfert galaxy- a galaxy with an active nucleus. The spectrum contains many broad bands, indicating powerful gas emissions at high speeds. The number of such galaxies does not exceed 1% of the total number of studied spiral galaxies.
Cluster- a collection of stars or galaxies interacting with each other by gravitational attraction.
Speed of light (c)- the speed of propagation of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum is approximately equal to 300 thousand km/s.
Constellation- conditional division of a section of the starry sky. Some stars resemble mythical creatures or objects that people used to navigate in ancient times.
Spectral class of stars- temperature sequence of star classes. Depending on the class, the temperature on the surface of the star ranges from 50,000 to 2000 K. The classes are designated by a capital English letter: O, B, A, F, G, K, M (from hot to cold). This sequence is very easy to remember using this hint: Oh, Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me. (The sun is class G and the temperature of the sphere is almost 6000 K).
T
Dark matter- a hidden mass of matter that does not emit electromagnetic radiation. This substance cannot be observed, however, based on many astronomical theories, this substance exceeds the mass of all stars combined, and the bulk of it is located in intergalactic space.
Dark energy- a hypothetical type of energy. It is not observed and impossible to measure, but it plays a very large role in the expansion of the Universe. Scientists suggest that 68% of the total mass of the Universe belongs to dark energy.
The Big Bang Theory- the theory of the origin of the Universe, as a result of which at the moment of its birth the Universe was at one singular point with infinite density.
Terminator- an elliptical line that separates the illuminated part of a celestial body from the unilluminated. A good example is the Moon phases.
Nebula- a cloud of dust and interstellar gas, which is observed due to their own radiation, reflection and absorption. There are light and dark.
U
Ultraviolet radiation- electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range from 10 to 400 nm.
F
Photographic magnitude- the brilliance of a star that an observer would notice if the spectral sensitivity of his eye coincided with the spectral sensitivity of a photographic plate. The difference between photographic magnitude and visual magnitude is called color indicator.
H
Black hole- such a cosmic object, the second cosmic speed of which exceeds the speed of light, which contradicts the postulates of the theory of relativity. In other words, this is a region in space that emits absolutely nothing and yet has an incredible gravitational pull. Massive stars can turn into a black hole at the end of their evolution.
SCH
Cassini gap- the region between the outer rings of the planet Saturn, which can already be observed in amateur telescopes.
E
exoplanet- a planet belonging to another star other than the Sun.
Eccentricity- a measure of the elongation of the orbit of a planet or other cosmic body.
I
Galaxy Core- the central region of spiral and elliptical galaxies. Has high luminosity. The core typically contains a large number of stars, and it is believed that supermassive black holes are located in the very center.
“Vocabulary words on the topic “Space”
Space.
Etymology of the word cosmos. Word to osmosis came to the ancient Russian era from the Greek language. This word meant peace, universe, order.
From V. Dahl's dictionary: Space is the world, the universe and the universe.
Near space is explored by man. Deep space is the world of stars and galaxies.
Space is the universe. And modern world science believes that space is infinite...
Planet.
The word planet comes from the Greek "planetes", which means "Wandering".
From the explanatory dictionary. A planet is a celestial body that revolves around a star, receiving light and heat from it.
Planet Earth is the common home of all humanity. Like all other planets in the solar system, it moves around the sun and at the same time rotates around its axis. The Earth's axis is an imaginary line around which rotation occurs. The rotation of the Earth around its axis causes the changes of day and night. The earth rotates smoothly from west to east, exposing first one side or the other to the sun's rays. Everything on the surface rotates together with it, so we don’t notice this rotation. The Earth makes a complete revolution around its axis in 24 hours, that is, in a day.
The path along which the Earth moves around the sun is called the Earth's orbit.
Orbit.
ORBIT (from Latin orbita - track, path) is a circle, sphere of action, distribution.
The Earth's orbit is a circle, an ellipse. As a result of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, the cycle of day and night occurs.
Orbital station.
ORBITAL STATION is a manned or automatic spacecraft operating for a long time in orbit around the Earth, another planet or the Moon. Orbital stations can be delivered into orbit assembled or mounted in space. At orbital stations, research of the Earth and outer space, medical-biological, technical experiments and other work are carried out. At the beginning of 1995, manned orbital stations Salyut (7 orbital stations), Mir, USSR, and the Skylab orbital station, USA, were launched.
Apparatus.
From the explanatory dictionary: Apparatus is masculine. Has several meanings.
1.Device, mechanical device. (Telephone)
2. A set of organs that perform some special function of the body. (Digestive apparatus).
3. A set of institutions serving any branch of economic management (State apparatus)
4.Medical. (Medical device)
5.Space (Research vehicle)
Spacecraft.
From the history of spacecraft:
In 1986, the American spacecraft explored the planet Uranus, and in 1989 the planet Neptune. Previously, practically nothing was known about these planets. They are too far from Earth, so you can’t really see them with the most powerful telescope. And photographs taken by the spacecraft made it possible to establish that Neptune has as many as eight moons, but only two moons are visible through a telescope from Earth.
Rocket.
Mystery.
Wonder bird - scarlet tail
Flew into a flock of stars.
This bird has no wings
But one cannot help but marvel:
As soon as the bird spreads its tail,
And will rise to the stars.
To the origins of the word.
From the explanatory dictionary . Rocket is feminine. Has several meanings.
Exercise. Choose words with similar roots for the word rocket
Similar words.
Astronaut.
Mystery.
He is not a pilot, not a pilot,
He's not flying a plane,
And a huge rocket
Children, who can you tell me this is?
From the explanatory dictionary
To the origins of the word space astronaut
Exercise. Choose words with the same root for the word astronaut.
Similar words.
Astronaut. There was no such word
Among many, many thousands of words.
They brought him to Earth from the sky
From the history of astronauts.
The first astronaut in history:. He went to on ..
First astronaut: . 1961
The first woman astronaut:, , flew on the ship "Vostok-6"
Svetlana Evgenievna Savitskaya - twice Hero of the Soviet Union. She participated in two space flights. Savitskaya is the first female cosmonaut to go into outer space.
First: went into space.
What are astronauts called in different countries?
Astronaut(V ), astronaut(V ), rescue naut(in), taikonaut(V ) , gaganaut(V ) - a person who committed(or who has undergone special training as an astronaut and is enrolled in a group of astronauts).
Pilot-cosmonaut of the Russian Federation- . Established According to the Regulations on the honorary title, it is awarded to those who have performed outstanding flights in space. Persons awarded this title are awarded a certificate of conferment of the honorary title and a badge worn on the right side of the chest
Write the words correctly:
Space
Astronaut
Planet
Orbit
Orbital station
Spacecraft
Rocket
Rocket.
To the origins of the word. The word rocket came to us from the Italian language “rocco”, that is, “spindle”. Then rockets were used only for fireworks and looked like a spindle. After firing, the rocket glows brightly.
From the explanatory dictionary . Rocket is feminine. Has several meanings.
1. A projectile used for fireworks and signaling, consisting of a cartridge case filled with a powder composition, which, after being fired, glows brightly while flying in the air. (flare)
2. Aircraft with a jet engine. (Spacecraft)
Similar words. Rocket, rocket, rocket launcher, rocket launcher, rocket launcher.
Combination of words. Huge, three-stage, cosmic.
Mystery.
Wonder bird - scarlet tail
Flew into a flock of stars.
This bird has no wings
But one cannot help but marvel:
As soon as the bird spreads its tail,
And will rise to the stars.
Sentences and texts..
2.The rocket men took their places. They aimed a missile at an invisible target. Explosion.! The rocket went high into the sky, leaving a tail of smoke behind it. A minute, then another, and the rocket had already found its target. (S. Baruzdin)
3. The officer took out a flare gun from his bosom and fired into the sky. The red rocket soared high above him. (To Korzhikov) The origins of rockets. According to the certificate writer ( Aulus Gellius) one of the first jet devices was used more than 2000 years ago, back in , philosopher- , who forced a wooden dove to move along a wire with the help of steam, before the eyes of the amazed residents of his city. Archytas Tarensky used the “action-reaction” principle, which was scientifically described only in century. However, most historians date the origins of rockets to the times ( - n. e.), to the opening and start using it for and entertainment. The force generated by gunpowder was sufficient to move various objects. Later, this principle found application in the creation of the first And . gunpowder could fly long distances, but were not rockets, since they did not have their own reserves . However, it was the invention of gunpowder that became the main prerequisite for the emergence of real rockets.
In general, in a wordrocket denote a wide range of flying devices from holiday to space .
In military terminology the wordrocket usually denotes a class , used to defeat remote and using the principle of jet propulsion for flight. Due to the diverse use of missiles by various a wide class of different types has formed .
Most modern missiles are equipped . Such an engine can use solid, liquid or hybrid . between fuel and starts at , the resulting hot gases form an outflowing jet stream, accelerate in the jet (or nozzles) and are ejected from the rocket. The acceleration of these gases in the engine creates - a pushing force that makes the rocket move. Principle described .
Astronaut.
Mystery.
He is not a pilot, not a pilot,
He's not flying a plane,
And a huge rocket
Children, who can you tell me this is?
From the explanatory dictionary . An astronaut is a person who flies into space for the purpose of testing space technology and conducting scientific observations.
To the origins of the word The word cosmonaut consists of very ancient components. The first part is the Greek word space, one of the meanings of which is “universe”, “world”. The second part of the word astronaut makes up the Greek word nautes - “sailor”, “navigator”
Similar words. Space, cosmonaut, cosmodrome, cosmic.
Combination of words. The first, courageous, brave... cosmonaut. Pilot-cosmonaut. Flight of an astronaut; group of astronauts; meeting with astronauts, becoming an astronaut.
Sentences and texts.
1. The world's first cosmonaut was Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin.
2.Cosmonaut. There was no such word
Among many many thousands of words.
They brought him to Earth from the sky
Pilots Gagarin and Titov (Ya. Akim)
Astronaut(V ), astronaut(V ), rescue naut(in), taikonaut(in) or gaganaut(c) - a person who has completed (or has undergone special training as an astronaut and was enrolled in a group of astronauts)
Historical facts
There were; who have completed a space flight along a ballistic trajectory with an altitude of more than 100 km (classification); who have completed a space flight along a ballistic trajectory with an altitude of more than 50 miles, but below 100 km (classification)
Among the astronauts.
According to data, the planet's astronauts spent more than 29,000 man-days, including more than 100 man-days. Representatives of 36 countries visited the Earth's orbit
Cosmonaut training in the USSR began in 1960, in the USA - in 1959.
The first woman cosmonaut was V.V. Tereshkova. In 1963 flew on the ship "Vostok-6"
The first cosmonaut in history: . He went to on.
The first astronaut to set foot on the Moon was N. Armstrong in 1969.
First astronaut: . 1961, .
The first woman astronaut: , , .
The first cosmonaut from: . It took place on board the ship.
Svetlana Evgenievna Savitskaya is a twice Hero of the Soviet Union. She participated in two space flights. Savitskaya is the first female cosmonaut to go into outer space.
The first cosmonaut from: (), who flew as a space tourist on a ship,
Perhaps, by uttering tricky words without any explanation, rocket professionals (and those classified among them) see themselves as a separate intellectual caste. But what about an ordinary person who, being interested in rockets and space, tries to immediately master an article peppered with incomprehensible abbreviations? What is BOKZ, SOTR or DPK? What is “crumpled gas” and why did the rocket “go over the hill”, and the launch vehicle and the spacecraft - two completely different products - bear the same name “Soyuz”? By the way, BOKZ is not Albanian boxing, but block for determining star coordinates(in common parlance - a star tracker), SOTR is not a violent abbreviation of the expression “I’ll grind it into powder”, but thermal control system, and WPC is not a furniture “wood-polymer composite”, but the most rocket-propelled one (and not only) drain safety valve. But what to do if there are no transcripts in either the footnote or the text? This is a problem... And not so much the reader, but the “writer” of the article: they won’t read it a second time! To avoid this bitter fate, we have undertaken the modest task of compiling a short dictionary of rocket and space terms, abbreviations and names. Of course, it does not pretend to be complete, and in some places, to be strict in its formulation. But we hope it will help the reader interested in astronautics. And besides, the dictionary can be supplemented and clarified endlessly - after all, space is infinite!..
Apollo- an American program to land a man on the Moon, which also included test flights of astronauts on a three-seater spacecraft in low-Earth and lunar orbit in 1968-1972.
Ariane-5— the name of a European disposable heavy-class launch vehicle designed to launch payloads into low-Earth orbits and departure trajectories. From June 4, 1996 to May 4, 2017, it completed 92 missions, 88 of which were completely successful.
Atlas V- the name of a series of American disposable medium-class launch vehicles created by Lockheed Martin. From August 21, 2002 to April 18, 2017, 71 missions were completed, of which 70 were successful. It is used primarily for launching spacecraft on orders from American government departments.
ATV(Automated Transfer Vehicle) is the name of a European disposable automatic transport vehicle designed to supply the ISS with cargo and flew from 2008 to 2014 (five missions were completed).
BE-4(Blue Origin Engine) is a powerful propulsion liquid rocket engine with a thrust of 250 tf at sea level, running on oxygen and methane and developed since 2011 by Blue Origin for installation on promising launch vehicles Vulcan and New Glenn. Positioned as a replacement for the Russian RD-180 engine. The first comprehensive fire tests are scheduled for the first half of 2017.
CCP(Commercial Crew Program) is a modern public American commercial manned program conducted by NASA and facilitating access for private industrial firms to technologies for the study and development of outer space.
CNSA(China National Space Agency) is the English abbreviation of the government agency that coordinates work on the study and development of outer space in the PRC.
CSA(Canadian Space Agency) is a government agency that coordinates space exploration in Canada.
Cygnus- the name of an American disposable automatic transport ship created by Orbital to supply the ISS with supplies and cargo. From September 18, 2013 to April 18, 2017, eight missions were completed, seven of them were successful.
Delta IV- the name of a series of American disposable medium- and heavy-class launch vehicles created by Boeing as part of the EELV program. From November 20, 2002 to March 19, 2017, 35 missions were conducted, 34 of which were successful. Currently used exclusively for launching spacecraft on orders from American government departments.
Dragon- the name of a series of American partially reusable transport ships developed by the private company SpaceX under a contract with NASA under the CCP program. Capable of not only delivering cargo to the ISS, but also returning it back to Earth. From December 8, 2010 to February 19, 2017, 12 unmanned spacecraft were launched, 11 of them were successful. The start of flight testing of the manned version is scheduled for 2018.
Dream Chaser- the name of the American reusable transport orbital rocket plane, developed since 2004 by Sierra Nevada to supply orbital stations with supplies and cargo (and in the future, in a seven-seat version, for crew changes). The start of flight tests is scheduled for 2019.
EELV(Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle) is a program for the evolutionary development of expendable launch vehicles for use (primarily) in the interests of the US Department of Defense. As part of the program, which began in 1995, carriers of the Delta IV and Atlas V families were created; Since 2015, they have been joined by Falcon 9.
EVA(Extra-Vehicular Activity) is the English name for extra-vehicular activity (EVA) of astronauts (work in outer space or on the surface of the Moon).
FAA(Federal Aviation Administration) - The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates legal issues of commercial space flights in the United States.
Falcon 9- the name of a series of American partially reusable medium-class carriers created by the private company SpaceX. From June 4, 2010 to May 1, 2017, 34 missile launches of three modifications were carried out, 31 of which were completely successful. Until recently, the Falcon 9 served both to launch unmanned Dragon cargo ships into orbit to resupply the ISS, and for commercial launches; is now included in the spacecraft launch program commissioned by American government departments.
Falcon Heavy is the name of an American partially reusable heavy-duty launch vehicle developed by SpaceX based on the Falcon-9 launch vehicle stages. The first flight is planned for autumn 2017.
Gemini - the name of the second American manned space program, during which astronauts on a two-seater spacecraft made near-Earth flights in 1965-1966.
H-2A (H-2B)- variants of a Japanese disposable medium-class launch vehicle designed to launch payloads into low-Earth orbits and departure trajectories. From August 29, 2001 to March 17, 2017, 33 launches of the H-2A variant were carried out (of which 32 were successful) and six launches of the H-2B (all successful).
HTV(H-2 Transfer Vehicle), also known as Kounotori, is the name of a Japanese automatic transport vehicle designed to supply the ISS with cargo and has been flying since September 10, 2009 (six missions completed, three remaining according to plan).
JAXA(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) is an agency that coordinates space exploration work in Japan.
Mercury- the name of the first American manned space program, during which astronauts on a single-seat spacecraft made near-Earth flights in 1961-1963.
NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is a government agency that coordinates aviation and space exploration in the United States.
New Glenn is the name of a partially reusable heavy-duty launch vehicle being developed by Blue Origin for commercial launches and use in the lunar transport system. Announced in September 2016, the first launch is planned for 2020-2021.
Orion MPCV(Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle) is the name of multifunctional manned spacecraft developed by NASA as part of the Exploration program and intended for flights of astronauts to the ISS and beyond low Earth orbit. The start of flight tests is scheduled for 2019.
Skylab- the name of the first American space station, on which three expeditions of astronauts worked in 1973-1974.
SLS(Space Launch System) is the name of the American family of super-heavy launch vehicles developed by NASA as part of the Exploration program and designed to launch elements of space infrastructure (including manned Orion spacecraft) onto flight trajectories. The start of flight tests is scheduled for 2019.
SpaceShipOne(SS1) is the name of an experimental reusable suborbital rocket plane created by Scaled Composites, which became the first non-governmental manned vehicle to overcome the Karman Line and reach space. Theoretically, it was supposed to carry a crew of three people, but in fact it was controlled by one pilot.
SpaceShipTwo(SS2) is the name of a reusable multi-seat (two pilots and six passengers) suborbital rocket plane from Virgin Galactic, designed for short tourist trips into space.
Space Shuttle, otherwise STS (Space Transportation System) is a series of American reusable manned transport spacecraft, created by order of NASA and the Department of Defense under a state program and completed 135 missions into near-Earth space between 1981 and 2011.
Starliner (CST-100)- the name of an American partially reusable manned transport ship developed by Boeing under a contract with NASA under the CCP program. The start of flight tests is scheduled for 2018.
ULA(United Launch Alliance) is a joint venture created in 2006 by Lockheed Martin and Boeing to cost-effectively operate Delta IV and Atlas V launch vehicles.
Vega- the name of a European light-class launch vehicle, developed in international cooperation with the decisive participation of Italy (Avio company) for launching payloads into near-Earth orbits and departure trajectories. From February 13, 2012 to March 7, 2017, nine missions were completed (all were successful).
Vulcan— the name of a promising American rocket designed to replace the Delta IV and Atlas V carriers. It has been developed since 2014 by the United Launch Alliance ULA. The first launch is planned for 2019.
X-15- an American experimental rocket plane created by North American on behalf of NASA and the Department of Defense to study the conditions of flight at hypersonic speeds and atmospheric reentry of winged vehicles, evaluate new design solutions, heat-protective coatings and psychophysiological aspects of control in the upper atmosphere. Three rocket planes were built, which made 191 flights in 1959-1968, setting several world speed and altitude records (including an altitude of 107,906 m reached on August 22, 1963).
Ablation- the process of mass removal from the surface of a solid body by a flow of incoming gas, accompanied by the absorption of heat. It forms the basis of ablative thermal protection, protecting the structure from overheating.
"Angara"- the name of the Russian launch vehicle, as well as a family of disposable modular launch vehicles of light, medium and heavy classes, designed for launching payloads into low-Earth orbits and departure trajectories. The first launch of the Angara-1.2PP light rocket took place on July 9, 2014, the first launch of the Angara-A5 heavy carrier took place on December 23, 2014.
Apogee— the most distant point in the orbit of a satellite (natural or artificial) from the center of the Earth.
Aerodynamic quality— dimensionless quantity, the ratio of the lifting force of an aircraft to the drag force.
Ballistic trajectory- the path along which a body moves in the absence of aerodynamic forces acting on it.
Ballistic missile - an aircraft that, after turning off the engine and leaving the dense layers of the atmosphere, flies along a ballistic trajectory.
"East"- the name of the first Soviet single-seat manned spacecraft, on which cosmonauts made flights from 1961 to 1963. Also - the open name of a series of Soviet disposable light-class launch vehicles, created on the basis of the R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile and used from 1958 to 1991.
"Sunrise"- the name of the multi-seat modification of the Soviet manned spacecraft "Vostok", on which the cosmonauts made two flights in 1964-1965. Also - the open name of a series of Soviet disposable medium-class launch vehicles used between 1963 and 1974.
Gas rocket engine(gas nozzle) is a device that serves to convert the potential energy of a compressed working fluid (gas) into thrust.
Hybrid rocket engine(GRD) is a special case of a chemical jet engine; a device that uses the chemical energy of interaction between fuel components that are in different states of aggregation (for example, a liquid oxidizer and a solid fuel) to create thrust. The engines of the SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo rocket planes are built on this principle.
Gnomon- an astronomical instrument in the form of a vertical stand, which allows one to determine the angular height of the sun in the sky, as well as the direction of the true meridian, by the shortest length of the shadow. A photognomon with a color calibration scale served to document samples of lunar soil collected during the Apollo missions.
ESA(European Space Agency) is an organization that coordinates the activities of European states in the study of outer space.
Liquid rocket engine(LPRE) - a special case of a chemical jet engine; a device that uses chemical energy from the interaction of liquid fuel components stored on board an aircraft to create thrust.
Capsule- one of the names of the wingless descent vehicle of artificial satellites and spacecraft.
Spacecraft— a general name for various technical devices designed to perform targeted tasks in outer space.
Space rocket complex(KRC) is a term that characterizes a set of functionally related elements (the technical and launch complex of the cosmodrome, the measuring equipment of the cosmodrome, the ground control complex of the spacecraft, the launch vehicle and the upper stage), ensuring the launch of the spacecraft onto the target trajectory.
Karman Line- an internationally agreed upon boundary of space, located at an altitude of 100 km (62 miles) above sea level.
"World"- the name of the modular Soviet/Russian orbital space station, which flew in 1986-2001, hosting numerous Soviet (Russian) and international expeditions.
ISS(International Space Station) is the name of the manned complex, which was created in low-Earth orbit by the efforts of Russia, the USA, Europe, Japan and Canada to conduct scientific research related to the conditions of long-term human stay in outer space. English abbreviation ISS (International Space Station).
Multistage (composite) rocket- a device in which, as fuel is consumed, there is a sequential discharge of used and unnecessary structural elements (stages) for further flight.
Smooth landing— contact of a spacecraft with the surface of a planet or other celestial body, in which the vertical speed allows for the safety of the structure and systems of the apparatus and/or comfortable conditions for the crew.
Orbital inclination- the angle between the orbital plane of a natural or artificial satellite and the equatorial plane of the body around which the satellite orbits.
Orbit- a trajectory (most often elliptical) along which one body (for example, a natural satellite or spacecraft) moves relative to the central body (Sun, Earth, Moon, etc.). To a first approximation, the Earth's orbit is characterized by such elements as inclination, perigee and apogee heights, and orbital period.
First escape velocity- the lowest speed that must be given to a body in the horizontal direction near the surface of the planet in order for it to enter a circular orbit. For Earth - approximately 7.9 km/s.
Overload— vector quantity, the ratio of the sum of thrust and/or aerodynamic force to the weight of the aircraft.
Perigee— the point of the satellite’s orbit closest to the center of the Earth.
Circulation period- the period of time during which the satellite makes a full revolution around the central body (Sun, Earth, Moon, etc.)
New generation manned transport ship (PTK NP) “Federation”- a reusable four-six-seater ship developed by the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation to provide access to space from Russian territory (from the Vostochny Cosmodrome), delivery of people and cargo to orbital stations, flights to polar and equatorial orbit, exploration of the Moon and landing on it . It is being created within the framework of FKP-2025, the start of flight tests is scheduled for 2021, the first manned flight with a docking with the ISS should take place in 2023.
"Progress"- the name of a series of Soviet (Russian) unmanned automatic ships for delivering fuel, cargo and supplies to the Salyut, Mir and ISS space stations. From January 20, 1978 to February 22, 2017, 135 ships of various modifications were launched, 132 of them were successful.
"Proton-M"— the name of a Russian disposable heavy-class launch vehicle designed to launch payloads into low-Earth orbits and departure trajectories. Created on the basis of Proton-K; The first flight of this modification took place on April 7, 2001. Until June 9, 2016, 98 launches were completed, of which 9 were completely and 1 partially unsuccessful.
Acceleration block(RB), the closest Western equivalent in meaning is the “upper stage,” a launch vehicle stage designed to form the target trajectory of a spacecraft. Examples: Centaur (USA), Briz-M, Fregat, DM (Russia).
Launch vehicle- currently the only means of launching a payload (satellite, probe, spacecraft or automatic station) into outer space.
Super-heavy class launch vehicle(RN STK) is the code name of a Russian development project intended to create a means of launching elements of space infrastructure (including manned spacecraft) onto flight trajectories (to the Moon and Mars).
Various proposals for the creation of a super-heavy class carrier based on the modules of the Angara-A5V, Energia 1K and Soyuz-5 rockets. Graphics by V. Trouser
Solid fuel rocket engine(solid propellant motor) - a special case of a chemical jet engine; a device that uses chemical energy from the interaction of solid fuel components stored on board an aircraft to create thrust.
Rocketplane- a winged aircraft (aircraft) that uses a rocket engine for acceleration and/or flight.
RD-180- a powerful propulsion liquid rocket engine with a thrust of 390 tf at sea level, running on oxygen and kerosene. Created by the Russian NPO Energomash at the request of the American company Pratt and Whitney for installation on the Atlas III and Atlas V family of carriers. Serially produced in Russia and supplied to the USA since 1999.
Roscosmos- the short name of the Federal Space Agency (from 2004 to 2015, from January 1, 2016 - the Roscosmos state corporation), a state organization that coordinates the study and development of outer space in Russia.
"Firework"- the name of a series of Soviet long-term orbital stations that flew in low-Earth orbit from 1971 to 1986, receiving Soviet crews and cosmonauts from the countries of the socialist community (Intercosmos program), France and India.
"Union"- the name of a family of Soviet (Russian) multi-seat manned spacecraft for flights in low-Earth orbit. From April 23, 1967 to May 14, 1981, 39 ships flew with crew on board. Also - the open name of a series of Soviet (Russian) disposable medium-class launch vehicles used to launch payloads into low-Earth orbits from 1966 to 1976.
"Soyuz-FG"- the name of the Russian disposable medium-class launch vehicle, which since 2001 has been delivering spacecraft - manned (Soyuz family) and automatic (Progress) - into low-Earth orbit.
"Soyuz-2"— the name of a family of modern Russian disposable light and medium-class launch vehicles, which since November 8, 2004 have been launching various payloads into low-Earth orbits and departure trajectories. In its variants, Soyuz-ST has been launched from October 21, 2011 from the European spaceport in Kourou in French Guiana.
"Soyuz T"- the name of the transport version of the Soviet manned Soyuz spacecraft, which from April 1978 to March 1986 made 15 manned flights to the Salyut and Mir orbital stations.
"Soyuz TM"- the name of a modified version of the Soviet (Russian) manned transport spacecraft Soyuz, which from May 1986 to November 2002 made 33 manned flights to the Mir orbital stations and the ISS.
"Soyuz TMA"— the name of the anthropometric modification of the Russian Soyuz transport ship, created to expand the permissible range of height and weight of crew members. From October 2002 to November 2011, he made 22 manned flights to the ISS.
"Soyuz TMA-M"— further modernization of the Russian transport spacecraft Soyuz TMA, which from October 2010 to March 2016 carried out 20 manned flights to the ISS.
"Soyuz MS"- the final version of the Russian Soyuz transport spacecraft, which made its first mission to the ISS on July 7, 2016.
Suborbital flight— movement along a ballistic trajectory with a short-term exit into outer space. In this case, the flight speed can be either less or more than the local orbital one (remember the American probe Pioneer-3, which had a speed higher than the first cosmic speed, but still fell to Earth).
"Tiangong"- the name of a series of Chinese orbital manned stations. The first (Tiangong-1 laboratory) was launched on September 29, 2011.
"Shenzhou"- the name of a series of modern Chinese three-seat manned spacecraft for flights in low-Earth orbit. From November 20, 1999 to October 16, 2016, 11 spacecraft were launched, 7 of them with astronauts on board.
Chemical jet engine- a device in which the energy of the chemical interaction of fuel components (oxidizer and fuel) is converted into the kinetic energy of a jet stream that creates thrust.
Electric rocket motor(EP) - a device in which, to create thrust, the working fluid (usually stored on board the aircraft) is accelerated using an external supply of electrical energy (heating and expansion in a jet nozzle or ionization and acceleration of charged particles in an electric (magnetic) field).
The ion electric rocket engine has low thrust, but high efficiency due to the high speed of exhaust of the working fluid
Emergency rescue system— a set of devices for rescuing the crew of a spacecraft in the event of a launch vehicle accident, i.e., when a situation arises in which launching onto the target trajectory is impossible.
Spacesuit- an individual sealed suit that provides conditions for the work and life of an astronaut in a rarefied atmosphere or in outer space. There are different types of rescue suits and extravehicular activity suits.
Descent (return) apparatus- part of a spacecraft intended for descent and landing on the surface of the Earth or other celestial body.
Search and rescue team specialists examine the descent module of the Chinese Chang'e-5-T1 probe, which returned to Earth after flying around the Moon. Photo by CNSA
Traction- the reactive force that sets in motion an aircraft on which a rocket engine is installed.
Federal space program(FKP) is the main document of the Russian Federation, defining the list of main tasks in the field of civil space activities and their financing. Compiled for a decade. The current FCP-2025 is valid from 2016 to 2025.
"Phoenix"— the name of the development work within the framework of FKP-2025 to create a medium-class launch vehicle for use as part of the Baiterek, Sea Launch and LV STK space rocket systems.
Characteristic speed (CV, ΔV)— a scalar quantity characterizing the change in the energy of an aircraft when using rocket engines. The physical meaning is the speed (measured in meters per second) that the device will acquire when moving in a straight line only under the influence of traction at a certain fuel consumption. It is used (including) to estimate the energy costs required to perform rocket-dynamic maneuvers (required CS), or the available energy determined by the on-board fuel or working fluid reserve (available CS).
Transporting the Energia launch vehicle with the Buran orbital spacecraft to the launch site
"Energy" - "Buran"- Soviet spacecraft with a super-heavy class launch vehicle and a reusable winged orbital ship. Developed since 1976 as a response to the American Space Shuttle system. In the period from May 1987 to November 1988, he made two flights (with a mass-size analogue of the payload and with an orbital vehicle, respectively). The program closed in 1993.
ASTP(experimental flight "Apollo" - "Soyuz") - a joint Soviet-American program, during which in 1975 the manned Soyuz and Apollo spacecraft carried out a mutual search, docking and a joint flight in low-Earth orbit. In the USA it is known as ASTP (Apollo-Soyuz Test Project).
Each of us has heard more than once that space is something beyond our planet, it is the Universe. In general, space is a space that extends endlessly in all directions, including galaxies and stars, planets, cosmic dust and other objects. There is an opinion that there are other planets or even entire galaxies that are also inhabited by intelligent people.
A little bit of history
The mid-20th century is remembered by many for the space race, from which the USSR emerged victorious. In 1957, an artificial satellite was created and launched for the first time, and a little later the first living creature visited space.
Two years later, an artificial satellite of the Sun entered orbit, and a station called “Luna-2” was able to land on the surface of the Moon. The legendary Belka and Strelka went into space only in 1960, and a year later a man also went there.
The year 1962 was remembered for the group flight of spacecraft, and 1963 for the fact that for the first time a woman was in orbit. Man managed to reach outer space two years later.
Each of the subsequent years of our history was marked by events related to
A station of international importance was organized in space only in 1998. This included the launch of satellites, and the organization and numerous flights of people from other countries.
What is he like?
The scientific point of view says that space is certain areas of the universe that surround them and their atmospheres. However, it cannot be called completely empty. It has been shown to contain some hydrogen and to have interstellar matter. Scientists have also confirmed the existence of electromagnetic radiation within its boundaries.
Now science does not know data about the final limits of space. Astrophysicists and radio astronomers argue that the instruments are not able to “see” the entire cosmos. This is despite the fact that their workspace covers 15 billion
Scientific hypotheses do not deny the possible existence of universes like ours, but there is also no confirmation of this. In general, space is the universe, it is the world. It is characterized by orderliness and materialization.
Study process
Animals were the first to go into space. People were afraid, but wanted to explore unknown spaces, so they used dogs, pigs and monkeys as pioneers. Some of them returned, some did not.
Now people are actively exploring outer space. It has been proven that weightlessness has a negative impact on human health. It prevents fluids from moving in the right directions, which contributes to the loss of calcium in the body. Also in space, people become somewhat plump, have intestinal problems and nasal congestion.
In outer space, almost every person gets space sickness. Its main symptoms are nausea, dizziness, and headache. The consequence of this disease is hearing problems.
Space is the space in whose orbits one can observe the sunrise about 16 times a day. This, in turn, negatively affects biorhythms and prevents normal sleep.
Interestingly, mastering the toilet in space is a whole science. Before this action begins to be perfect, all astronauts train on a mock-up. The technique is practiced over a certain period of time. Scientists tried to organize a mini-toilet directly in the spacesuit itself, but this did not work out. Instead, they began to use ordinary diapers.
Every astronaut, after returning home, wonders for some time why objects fall down.
Not many people know why the first food products in space were presented in tubes or briquettes. In fact, swallowing food in outer space is quite a difficult task. Therefore, food products were pre-dehydrated to make this process more accessible.
Interestingly, people who snore do not experience this process in space. It is still difficult to give an exact explanation for this fact.
Death in space
Women who have artificially enlarged their breasts will never be able to explore outer space. The explanation for this is simple - implants can explode. The same fate, unfortunately, can befall the lungs of any person if he finds himself in space without a spacesuit. This will happen due to decompression. The mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes will simply boil.
Space in ancient philosophy
In philosophy, space is a certain structural concept that is used to designate the world as a whole. Heraclitus used the definition as a “world builder” more than 500 years ago BC. This was also supported by the Pre-Socratics - Parmenides, Democritus, Anaxagoras and Empedocles.
Plato and Aristotle tried to show the cosmos as an extremely complete being, an innocent being, an aesthetic whole. The perception of outer space was largely based on the mythology of the ancient Greeks.
In his work “On Heaven,” Aristotle tries to compare these two concepts, to identify similarities and differences. In Plato's dialogue Timaeus, a fine line is traced between the cosmos itself and its founder. The philosopher argued that the cosmos arose successively from matter and ideas, and the creator put a soul into it and divided it into elements.
The result was the cosmos as a living being with intelligence. He is one and beautiful, including the soul and body of the world.
Space in the philosophy of the 19th-20th centuries
The industrial revolution of modern times has completely distorted previous versions of the perception of outer space. A new “mythology” was taken as a basis.
At the turn of the century, such a philosophical movement as cubism arose. He largely embodied the laws, formulas, logical constructions and idealizations of Greek Orthodox ideas, which, in turn, borrowed them from ancient philosophers. Cubism is a good attempt for a person to understand himself, the world, his place in the world, his calling, and determine his basic values.
He did not go far from ancient ideas, but he changed their root. Now space is in philosophy something with design features that were based on the principles of Orthodox personalism. Something historical and evolutionary. Outer space can change for the better. Biblical legends were taken as a basis.
The cosmos, in the minds of philosophers of the 19-20s, unites art and religion, physics and metaphysics, knowledge about the surrounding world and human nature.
conclusions
We can draw a logical conclusion that space is that space that is a single whole. Philosophical and scientific ideas about it are of the same nature, with the exception of ancient times. The topic “space” has always been in demand and enjoyed healthy curiosity among people.
Now the universe is fraught with many more mysteries and secrets that we have yet to unravel. Every person who finds himself in space discovers something new and unusual for himself and for all humanity, and introduces everyone to his feelings.
Outer space is a collection of various matters or objects. Some of them are closely studied by scientists, while the nature of others is completely incomprehensible.
Below is a list of words useful for astronomy. These terms were created by scientists to explain what happens in outer space.
It is useful to know these words; without understanding their definitions it is impossible to study the Universe and explain the topics of astronomy. Hopefully, the basic astronomical terms will remain in your memory.
Absolute magnitude - How bright a star would be if it were 32.6 light years from Earth.
Absolute zero - The lowest possible temperature, -273.16 degrees Celsius
Acceleration - A change in speed (speed or direction).
Skyglow - Naturally, the night sky glows due to reactions occurring in the Earth's upper atmosphere.
Albedo - The albedo of an object indicates how much light it reflects. An ideal reflector, such as a mirror, will have an albedo of 100. The Moon has an albedo of 7, the Earth has an albedo of 36.
Angstrom - A block that is used to measure the wavelength of light and other electromagnetic radiation.
Annular - Shaped like or forming a ring.
Apoaster - When two stars revolve around each other, how far apart they can be (maximum distance between the bodies).
Aphelion - During the orbital motion of an object around the Sun, when it reaches its most distant position from the Sun.
Apogee - The position of an object in the Earth's orbit when it is farthest from the Earth.
Aerolite is a stone meteorite.
Asteroid - A solid body or small planet revolving around the Sun.
Astrology - The belief that the position of stars and planets influences the events of human destinies. This has no scientific basis.
Astronomical unit - The distance from the Earth to the Sun. Usually written AU.
Astrophysics - The use of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomy.
Atmosphere - The gaseous space surrounding a planet or other space object.
Atom - The smallest particle of any element.
Aurora (Northern Lights) - Beautiful lights over the polar regions that are caused by the tension of particles from the Sun interacting with the Earth's magnetic field.
Axis - An imaginary line on which an object rotates.
Background radiation - Weak microwave radiation emanating from space in all directions. It is believed to be a remnant of the Big Bang.
Barycenter - The center of gravity of the Earth and Moon.
Binary stars - A stellar duo that actually consists of two stars orbiting each other.
Black Hole - A region of space around a very small and very massive object in which the gravitational field is so strong that even light cannot escape from it.
Fireball - A brilliant meteor that may explode during its descent through the Earth's atmosphere.
Bolometer - Radiation-sensitive detector.
Celestial Sphere - The imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth. The term is used to help astronomers explain where objects are in the sky.
Cepheids are variable stars; scientists use them to determine how distant a galaxy is or how far a cluster of stars is from us.
Charge-coupled device (CCD) - A sensitive image device that replaces photography in most branches of astronomy.
Chromosphere - Part of the solar atmosphere, it is visible during a total solar eclipse.
Circumpolar Star - A star that never sets, it can be viewed all year round.
Clusters - A group of stars or a group of galaxies that are connected by gravitational forces.
Color Index - A measure of a star's color that tells scientists how hot the star's surface is.
Coma - Nebula surrounding the nucleus of a comet.
Comet - Small, frozen masses of dust and gas orbiting the Sun.
Conjunction - A phenomenon in which a planet approaches another planet or star and moves between the other object and the body of the Earth.
Constellations - A group of stars that were given names by ancient astronomers.
Corona - The outer part of the Sun's atmosphere.
Coronagraph - A type of telescope designed to view the Corona Sun.
Cosmic rays are high-speed particles that reach the Earth from outer space.
Cosmology - The study of the Universe.
Day - The amount of time during which the Earth, rotating, rotates around its axis.
Density - Compactness of matter.
Direct motion - Objects moving around the Sun in the same direction as the Earth - they move in forward motion, unlike objects moving in the opposite direction - they move in retrograde motion.
Diurnal motion - The apparent movement of the sky from East to West caused by the Earth moving from West to East.
Ash Light - The faint glow of the Moon over the dark side of the Earth. Light is caused by reflection from the Earth.
Eclipse - When we see an object in the sky blocked by the shadow of another object or the shadow of the Earth.
Ecliptic - The path of the Sun, Moon and planets, which everyone follows in the sky.
Ecosphere - The area around a star where the temperature allows life to exist.
Electron - A negative particle that orbits an atom.
Element - A substance that cannot be broken down further. There are 92 known elements.
Equinoxes are March 21 and September 22. Twice a year, when day and night are equal in time, all over the world.
Second escape velocity - The speed required for an object to escape the grip of another object's gravity.
Exosphere - The outer part of the Earth's atmosphere.
Flares - the effect of Solar Flares. Beautiful eruptions in the outer part of the Sun's atmosphere.
Galaxy - A group of stars, gas and dust that are held together by gravity.
Gamma - Extremely short wavelength energetic electromagnetic radiation.
Geocentric - Simply means the Earth is at the center. People used to believe that the universe is geocentric; The earth for them was the center of the universe.
Geophysics - The study of the Earth using physics.
HI region - Cloud of neutral hydrogen.
NI region - Cloud of ionized hydrogen (region of hot plasma emission nebula).
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram - A diagram that helps scientists understand the different types of stars.
Hubble Constant - The relationship between the distance from an object and the speed at which it is moving away from us. Further, the object moves faster, the further away it becomes from us.
Planets that have an orbit less than the Earth's - Mercury and Venus, which lie closer to the Sun than the Earth, are called inferior planets.
Ionosphere - Region of the Earth's atmosphere.
Kelvin - The measurement of temperature is often used in astronomy. 0 degrees Kelvin is equal to -273 degrees Celsius and -459.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Kepler's laws - 1. planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus. 2. An imaginary line connecting the center of the planet with the center of the Sun. 3. The time required for the planet to orbit around the Sun.
Kirkwood Gaps - Regions in the asteroid belt where there are almost no asteroids. This is due to the fact that giant Jupiter changes the orbits of any object that enters these areas.
Light Year - The distance a ray of light travels in one year. This is approximately 6,000,000,000,000 (9,660,000,000,000 km) miles.
Limb - The edge of any object in outer space. The Moon zone, for example.
Local Group - A group of two dozen galaxies. This is the group to which our Galaxy belongs.
Lunation - The period between new moons. 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes.
Magnetosphere - The region around an object where the influence of the object's magnetic field can be felt.
Mass - Not the same as weight, although the mass of an object helps determine how much it will weigh.
Meteor - A shooting star is a particle of dust entering the Earth's atmosphere.
Meteorite - An object from outer space, such as a rock, that falls to Earth and lands on its surface.
Meteoroids - Any small object in outer space, such as clouds of dust or rocks.
Micrometeorites - Extremely small objects. They are so small that when they enter the Earth's atmosphere, they do not create a star effect.
The Milky Way is Our Galaxy. (The word "Galaxy" actually means Milky Way in Greek.)
Minor planet - Asteroid
Molecule - A group of atoms bound together.
Multiple stars - A group of stars that orbit each other.
Nadir - This is the point on the celestial sphere directly below the observer.
Nebula - A cloud of gas and dust.
Neutrino - A very small particle that has no mass or charge.
Neutron Star - Remnants of a dead star. They are incredibly compact and spin very quickly, some spinning 100 times per second.
Novelty - A star that suddenly flares up before disappearing again - a flare many times stronger than its original brightness.
Terrestrial spheroid - A planet that is not perfectly round because it is wider in the middle and shorter from top to bottom.
Eclipse - The occultation of one celestial body by another.
Opposition - When a planet is exactly opposite the Sun, so that the Earth is between them.
Orbit - The path of one object around another.
Ozone - An area in the Earth's upper atmosphere that absorbs many of the deadly radiations coming from space.
Parallax - The shift of an object when it is viewed from two different places. For example, if you close one eye and look at your thumbnail and then switch eyes, you will see everything in the background shifting back and forth. Scientists use this to measure the distance to stars.
Parsec - 3.26 light years
Penumbra - The light part of the shadow is at the edge of the shadow.
Periastra - When two stars that orbit each other are at their closest point.
Perigee - The point in an object's orbit around the Earth when it is closest to the Earth.
Perihelion - When an object that orbits the Sun is at its closest point to the sun
Disturbances - Disturbances in the orbit of a celestial object caused by the gravitational pull of another object.
Phases - Obviously changing the shape of the Moon, Mercury and Venus due to how much of the sun faces Earth.
Photosphere - The bright surface of the Sun
Planet - An object moving around a star.
Planetary nebula - A nebula of gas surrounding a star.
Precession - The Earth behaves like a top. Its poles spin in circles causing the poles to point in different directions over time. It takes 25,800 years for the Earth to complete one precession.
Proper motion - The movement of stars across the sky as seen from Earth. Nearby stars have higher proper motion than more distant ones, as in our car—nearer objects, such as road signs, appear to move faster than distant mountains and trees.
A proton is an elementary particle at the center of an atom. Protons have a positive charge.
Quasar - A very distant and very bright object.
Radiant - An area in the sky during a meteor shower.
Radio galaxies - Galaxies that are extremely powerful emitters of radio radiation.
Redshift - When an object moves away from Earth, the light from that object is stretched, making it appear redder.
Rotate - When something moves in a circle around another object, like the Moon around the Earth.
Rotation - When a rotating object has at least one fixed plane.
Saros (draconic period) is a time interval of 223 synodic months (approximately 6585.3211 days), after which eclipses of the Moon and Sun are repeated in the usual manner. Saros cycle - Period of 18 years 11.3 days in which eclipses are repeated.
Satellite - A small object in orbit. There are many electronic objects that orbit the Earth.
Twinkling - Twinkling stars. Thanks to the Earth's atmosphere.
Type - The state of the Earth's atmosphere at a certain point in time. If the sky is clear, astronomers say there is good viewing.
Selenography - Study of the surface of the Moon.
Seyfert galaxies are galaxies with small bright centers. Many Seyfert galaxies are good sources of radio waves.
Shooting Star - Light into the atmosphere resulting from a meteorite falling to Earth.
Sidereal Period - The period of time that an object in space takes to complete one full revolution with respect to the stars.
Solar System - A system of planets and other objects in the orbit of the star Sun.
Solar wind - A steady flow of particles from the Sun in all directions.
Solstice - June 22 and December 22. The time of year when the days are either shortest or longest, depending on where you are.
Spicules are the main elements, up to 16,000 kilometers in diameter, in the chromosphere of the Sun.
Stratosphere - The level of the Earth's atmosphere from approximately 11-64 km above sea level.
Star - A self-luminous object that shines through the energy produced in nuclear reactions within its core.
Supernova - Super bright explosion of a star. A supernova can produce the same amount of energy per second as the entire galaxy.
Sundial - An ancient instrument used to tell time.
Sunspots - Dark spots on the surface of the Sun.
Outer planets - Planets that lie further from the Sun than Earth.
Synchronous Satellite - An artificial satellite that moves around the Earth at the same speed as the Earth rotates, so that it is always in the same part of the Earth.
Synodic orbital period - The time it takes for an object in space to reappear at the same point, in relation to two other objects, such as the Earth and the Sun
Syzygy - The position of the Moon in its orbit, in a new or full phase.
Terminator - The line between day and night on any celestial object.
Thermocouple - An instrument used to measure very small amounts of heat.
Time dilation - When you approach the speed of light, time slows down and mass increases (there is such a theory).
Trojan asteroids - Asteroids that orbit the Sun following the orbit of Jupiter.
Troposphere - The lower part of the Earth's atmosphere.
Shade - The dark inner part of the sun's shadow.
Variable stars - Stars that fluctuate in brightness.
Zenith - It is directly above your head in the night sky.