Space Terms

Deep-sky objects is the term given to cosmic bodies that are outside the solar system by amateur astronomers. Most deep-sky objects are the nebulae, star clusters and galaxies.

The Damocloid are a group of unusual asteroids that are inactive nuclei of Halley’s Comet and other long-period comets, and have been found to have a retrograde orbit, unlike other types of asteroids. Its name was derived from its archetype, the 5335 Damocles that was discovered by Robert McNaught in 1991. Robert McNaught named his

In 1998, astronomers got the shock of their lives when they discovered that the universe is expanding at a rapid rate. The proof of this discovery came as a result of the studies of the Type 1a supernova, a distant star that acts as a standard candle for astronomers upon its explosion. The supernova’s luminosity

Dark matter is the term used to describe the invisible matter that makes up some of the universe. Its exact nature is unknown, however, it has been speculated to consist of dead stars, dwarf stars, molecular gas etc. Various models to explain how dark matter works have been proposed and it is said that these

Annular Eclipse is defined as the impartial covering of the Sun by the moon as it passes between the surface of the Earth and the Sun. The moon is smaller in its actual size and yet it creates a glowing ring.

An aphelion is an event when a celestial body orbits around the sun at its farthest range. A perihelion is the opposite of aphelion when the celestial objects move around the Sun at its closest range. Any celestial object that orbits around the Sun will experience both Aphelion and perihelion at a certain period of

An aperture is a hole in the camera that specifies the amount of light that’s permitted into it. An aperture’s width can be controlled manually or automatically by the camera. The width of an aperture has a significance of the impact for the final photograph. Its perception is determined in the early study of photography.

Angular size is a Greek geometric concept for astronomical measurement and it is also the basis for modern astronomy. The angular size can be measured in units of radians, units of degrees, arc minutes (1degree= 60 arc minutes) and arc seconds (one second= 60 arc seconds).

Andromeda Galaxy is the spiral galaxy that is nearest to the Milky Way Galaxy. Its distance is about 2 million light years from Earth and with a diameter of 200,000 light years. Andromeda Galaxy is considered to be the largest galaxy. For the past centuries, the astronomers thought that Andromeda Galaxy was a part of

Altitude is a measurement in distance of a point or object elevated from its foundation. It is measured in vertical direction. Altitude is commonly used in measuring the height of a location above sea level.