UNIVERSEH: The European Space University

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Short Definition:

Absolute magnitude is the measurement of the brightness of celestial bodies using inverse logarithmic calculations in astronomical calculations and expressed as a mathematical value. This process involves mathematically expressing their luminosity, as a hypothesis, by placing objects at an equal distance from the observer (10 parsecs that equals to 32.6 light years).

Detailed Definition:

Absolute magnitude is also called absolute visual magnitude, which is a hypothesis that predicts the mathematical calculation of the luminosity of different celestial bodies, taking into account fixed distances, and comparing the luminosities of these objects. The mathematical formula used to calculate this luminosity is as follows;

Mv: Absolute magnitude

m: Apparent magnitude

d: Distance in 10 parsecs

Mv = m – 2.5 log [d/10]²

The apparent magnitude here, on an inverse scale, indicates how bright celestial objects appear to our eyes. Because it's an inverted scale, high numbers indicate dim objects and low numbers indicate bright objects. The brightest object known and measured on this scale has a value of -10, while the star Sirius has a luminosity of 1.4, and our sun has a luminosity of 4.8.

Etymology:

Absolute -from old Latin (absolūtus)

(Absolute – Wiktionary. (n.d.). https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/absolute)

Magnitude -from old Latin (Magnus)

(Magnitude – Wiktionary. (n.d.). https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/magnitude)

Sample Sentence(s):

‘’When comet 289P/Blanpain was discovered in 1819, its absolute magnitude was estimated as {\displaystyle M_{1}=8.5}{\displaystyle M_{1}=8.5}’’

(Wikipedia contributors. (2023, January 13). Absolute magnitude. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_magnitude)

‘’Colour–magnitude diagram, in astronomy, graph showing the relation between the absolute magnitudes (brightnesses) of stars and their colours, which are closely related to their temperatures and spectral types.’’

(The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (1998, July 20). Colour–magnitude diagram | astronomy. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/colour-magnitude-diagram)

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages:

French:

Magnitude absolue

German:

Absolute Helligkeit

Polish:

Absolutna wielkość gwiazdowa

Swedish:

Absolut magnitud

Turkish:

Mutlak Kadir

Links to Videos/Articles:

Absolute magnitude | astronomy. (n.d.-a). Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/absolute-magnitude

Absolute Magnitude | COSMOS. (n.d.-a). https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/a/Absolute+Magnitude

Apparent and Absolute Magnitudes. (n.d.-b). https://www.phys.ksu.edu/personal/wysin/astro/magnitudes.html

Michel van Biezen. (2014, April 9). Astronomy - Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (18 of 30) Absolute Magnitude [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfsUhOPCMaM

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Black_hole_-_Messier_87_crop_max_res.jpg

Short Definition:

An accretion disk is a structure, which is an amalgamation of gas, plasma or particles around the black hole. It is attracted by the gravitational pull and orbits the black hole while it slowly spirals into it, so it is a phenomenon that describes the way how a big celestial body amasses matter like black holes.

Detailed Definition:

We can not observe black holes or their event horizon, but since black holes have accretion disks, which are a type of structure and accumulations of gas, plasma or particles that were attracted by the huge gravitational pull of black holes. We are able to see those accretion disks, because the spinning matter is so fast, which in turn generates heat and emits x-rays and gamma rays. The high amount of angular momentum makes it impossible for the matter to simply fall into the black hole like it would on earth or one would think. Angular momentum decreases despite there being no friction in space, because of turbulence, which is caused by the fact that rotation increases the effect of magnetic fields. Temperatures in the accretion disks tend to vary quite a bit, which is determined by the composition of the accretion disk and its source. Temperatures can go from a few thousand to a few million Kelvin.

Etymology:

Accretion from Latin ad+ crescere-->accrescere--->accretionem

Source:

Short definition: 

An Aerolite is a stony meteorite that comes from the asteroid belt.

Detailed Definition:

In astronomy, an aerolite is a type of meteorite that is composed primarily of rock and minerals. They are believed to originate from the asteroid belt, a region between Mars and Jupiter where many small bodies orbit the Sun. Aerolites are formed from the debris of collisions between asteroids and are made up of a variety of minerals, including silicates and oxides. They are different from iron meteorites, which are composed primarily of iron and nickel.

Etymology:

aero - air+‎ -lite - (used to from names of rocks and minerals)

Sample Sentence(s):

"The museum's collection includes a small aerolite from the asteroid belt."

"The aerolite that landed in the farmer's field was later determined to be a piece of the asteroid Vesta."

"Many scientists study aerolites to learn more about the composition of the early solar system."

Translations:

French:

aérolithe

German:

Steinmeteorit

Polish:

Aerolit

Links to videos/articles:

https://www.britannica.com/science/stony-meteorite

Mars Desert Research Station - an analog habitat in the middle of a desert in Utah

Source:
Wikipedia

Short Definition:
An analog habitat is a facility that is set up to imitate martian or lunar conditions on earth.

Detailed Definition:
An analog habitat is a base meant to simulate a space habitat or colony. It is designed to test and study the feasibility of living in such a habitat. Analog habitats are used to test technologies and systems that could be used in a real space habitat, and to study the psychological and social effects of living in a closed environment without the risks and cost of an actual space mission.

Etymology:
From Latin habitō (“I live or I dwell”).

Sample Sentence(s):
An analog habitat was set up in the middle of a desert.

Translations:

French:
habitat analogique

German:
analoger Lebensraum

Polish:
Habitat analogowy

Swedish:
analog livsmiljö


Links to Videos/Articles:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352309321000018

Source:

Short definition: 

The point in the orbit of a planet or other celestial body that is farthest from the sun.

Detailed Definition:

Aphelion is the point in the orbit of a celestial body where it is farthest from the sun. It is the opposite of perihelion, which is the point in the orbit where the celestial body is closest to the sun. The distance between a celestial body and the sun varies during its orbit due to the elliptical shape of the orbit. The aphelion is the point where the distance is at a maximum.

Etymology:

aphelios - far from the sun

aph - from and helion - the sun

Sample Sentence(s):

"Mars reaches its aphelion in July, when it is about 250 million miles from the sun."

"The aphelion of Earth's orbit occurs in July, when it is about 3.1 million miles farther from the sun than at perihelion in January."

"The aphelion of Pluto's orbit is about 49.3 billion kilometres, while its perihelion is about 29.7 billion kilometres."

Translations:

French:

aphélie

German:

Aphel

Polish:

aphelium

Links to videos/articles:

https://www.britannica.com/science/aphelion 

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/videos/whats-up-january-2021

Source:

Short Definition:

An apogee is a point in an elliptical orbit, which is considered to be the farthest point from Earth.

Detailed Definition:

There are two sides in any elliptical orbit, with the names referring to the primary body in the orbit. The closest and farthest points are referred to by, respectively, the prefixes peri- and apo-. The suffix is determined by the primary body, which in the case of Earth is -gee. Therefore, an apogee is the term describing the farthest point on the elliptical orbit of Earth. A satellite is at its slowest when travelling through the apogee.

Etymology:

"apogee" - French apogée, Latin apogaeum, Greek apogaion - point at which the Moon is farthest from the Earth

"apo-" - Greek apo, Avestan apa, Latin ab - off, away, away from

"Gaia" / "ge" - Greek Gaia / gaia - a titan, personification of Earth

Sample Sentence(s):

A satellite that travel around a celestial body is at its slowest whenever the satellite is at its apogee.

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages

French: Apogée

German: Höhepunkt

Polish: Apogeum

Swedish: Höjdpunkt

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://www.allthescience.org/what-is-an-apogee.htm

Source:

Short definition:  An asteroid is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the sun, also known as a “minor planet”. They can be rocky, metallic, or icy bodies with no atmosphere and range in a wide spectrum of sizes and shapes.

Long definition: An asteroid is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the sun, also known as a “minor planet”. They can be rocky, metallic, or icy bodies with no atmosphere and vary greatly in shape and size, from 1000 km to 1 m across. 

The three largest asteroids (Ceres, Vesta and Pallas) look very much like miniature planets by being almost spherical and containing some partly differentiated interiors. They are thought to be surviving protoplanets. Nevertheless, a wide majority of asteroids are smaller and irregularly shaped and are thought to be shattered remnants of planetesimals, which are bodies that never grew large enough to become planets within the formation of the solar system (solar nebula) or fragments of bigger bodies. 

• A planet or asteroid in the solar system follows an elliptical orbit, with the sun at one focus.
  
• Future discoveries and space missions would provide information about how to deflect an asteroid on collision course with Earth. 
  

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages

• French: Astéroïde
• German: Asteroid
• Polish: Asteroida
• Swedish: Asteroid
• Spanish: Asteroide

Links to Videos/Articles:

• Asteroid Risk Assessment: A Probabilistic Approach - DOI: 10.1111/risa.12453
  
• The evolutionary and ecological benefits of asteroid and comet impacts - DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2005.01.009 
  

Short Definition:

Astrobiology is an interdisciplinary field of research concerned with the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe. It encompasses research in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics. 

Detailed Definition:

The goal of this study is to understand more about the origin and evolution of life on Earth, planetary system formation, organic compounds in space, and whether or not life exists or might exist elsewhere. Especially the frozen moons of the outer solar system, particularly Europa and Enceladus, as well as Mars, are of significant astrobiological interest. These solar system bodies are the focus of current and future multinational space missions, for example in the DLR.

Etymology:

astro - Ancient Greek - ἄστρον (astron) "star"

bio – Ancient Greek - βίος (bíos) “life”

logy – Ancient Greek -λογία (logía) “branch of study” or “to speak”

Sample Sentence(s):

“The research field of astrobiology is gaining more and more importance in the last decades.”

“Did you see the documentary on astrobiology last week?”

Translations:

• French: Astrobiologie
  
• German: Astrobiologie
  
• Polish: Astrobiologia 
  
• Swedish: Astrobiologi
  

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://www.dlr.de/me/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-2016/

Image/Video/Audio:

Image/Video/Audio Source:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Astronomy%3B_a_diagram_of_the_phases_of_the_moon._Engraving._Wellcome_V0024718.jpg

Short Definition:

Astronomy is a positive science that includes the discovery, observation, interpretation and recording of all objects and phenomena in space. Before 17th century, astronomy, which worked only to observe and interpret the positions and motion capabilities of observable celestial bodies due to technological inadequacies, after advanced its agenda in all space with the advancement of technology. 

Detailed Definition:

Astronomy, which aims to investigate first our galaxy and then the whole space in the light of the physics and chemistry sciences that have developed since the 19th century, it also includes to investigate structures and movements of celestial bodies, the formation of galaxies and the chemical analysis of this formation, and the distances and brightness levels of these objects and phenomena. There are 4 main sub-branches of today's contemporary astronomy. These are;

Astrophysics: Examines the harmony and application of defined laws of physics in space.

Astrometry: It deals with mapping the locations of space objects and their distances from each other.

Astrogeology: It deals with the elucidation and understanding of the structure and reserves of materials in space.

Astrobiology: Examines possible extraterrestrial life.

All these sub-domains contain more of an observable method besides being experimental due to he lack of possibilities we have today in regards with technology.

Etymology:

‘Astron’ (star) – From Ancient Greek

‘Nomos’ (rule, law) – From Ancient Greek

Sample Sentence(s):

''Astronomy has expanded to include astrophysics, the application of physical and chemical knowledge to an understanding of the nature of celestial objects and the physical processes that control their formation, evolution, and emission of radiation.''

(Evans, J. (2023, January 5). Astronomy | Definition, History, Discoveries, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/astronomy)

‘’Astrology can be fun to think about, but it’s different from astronomy. Astrology is not science!’’

(Cloudflare CAPTCHA. (n.d.). https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/astronomy/what-is-astronomy)

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages:

French:

Astronomie

German:

Astronomie

Polish:

Astronomia

Swedish:

Astronomi

Turkish:

Astronomi

Links to Videos/Articles:

Astronomic. (2015, July 7). Astronomy: Explained | Astronomic [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XinkicMVzLs

Cloudflare CAPTCHA. (n.d.). https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/astronomy/what-is-astronomy

E., E. (2022, May 12). 17 branches of astronomy. Earth How. https://earthhow.com/what-is-astronomy/

Evans, J. (2023, January 5). Astronomy | Definition, History, Discoveries, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/astronomy

Definition:

The mass of gas that surrounds an astronomical body, such as a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of this body.

Etymology:

From Greek ατμός (atmos)'vapor' + σφαιρα (sphaira)'sphere'

Translations:

• French: atmosphère (fem.) – [at.mɔsˈfɛʁ]
• German: Atmosphäre (fem.) – [ʔatmoˈsfɛːʀə]
• Polish: atmosfera (fem.) – [ˌatmɔˈsfɛra]
• Russian: атмосфера (fem.) – [ɐtmɐˈsfʲerə]
• Swedish: atmosfär (comm.) –[ʔatmoˈsfɒ]