astronomy
the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole
rim
the shape of a raised edge of a more or less circular object
obscure
not clearly understood or expressed
optical
relating to or using sight
orbit
the (usually elliptical) path described by one celestial body in its revolution about another
asteroid
any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)
comet
(astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit
meteor
(astronomy) any of the small solid extraterrestrial bodies that hits the earth's atmosphere
Mercury
(Roman mythology) messenger of Jupiter and god of commerce; counterpart of Greek Hermes
Venus
the second nearest planet to the sun; it is peculiar in that its rotation is slow and retrograde (in the opposite sense of the Earth and all other planets except Uranus); it is visible from Earth as an early `morning star' or an `evening star'
Mars
(Roman mythology) Roman god of war and agriculture; father of Romulus and Remus; counterpart of Greek Ares
Jupiter
(Roman mythology) supreme god of Romans; counterpart of Greek Zeus
Saturn
(Roman mythology) god of agriculture and vegetation; counterpart of Greek Cronus
Uranus
(Greek mythology) god of the heavens; son and husband of Gaea and father of the Titans in ancient mythology
Neptune
a giant planet with a ring of ice particles; the 8th planet from the sun is the most remote of the gas giants
Pluto
(Greek mythology) the god of the underworld in ancient mythology; brother of Zeus and husband of Persephone
dwarf
a plant or animal that is atypically small
Celsius
Swedish astronomer who devised the centigrade thermometer (1701-1744)
faltering
the act of pausing uncertainly
composition
the way in which someone or something is composed
axis
a straight line through a body or figure that satisfies certain conditions
nebula
an immense cloud of gas (mainly hydrogen) and dust in interstellar space
faint
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
dense
hard to pass through because of dense growth
bulge
swell or protrude outwards
infrared
having or employing wavelengths longer than light but shorter than radio waves; lying outside the visible spectrum at its red end
radiation
the act of spreading outward from a central source
zillion
a very large indefinite number (usually hyperbole)
elicit
call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
deduction
the act of subtracting (removing a part from the whole)
infer
conclude by reasoning; in logic
