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Comet

(Last edited: Friday, 26 May 2023, 5:05 PM)


Source:

Hassell, E. (2020, July 16). Comet NEOWISE over Queen Valley. flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/115357548@N08/50120466697

Short Definition:
A Comet is a small object orbiting the star (e.g. the Sun) composed of dust, rock and ices. Comets appear in our solar system and have mostly origin in Kuiper belt or Oort Cloud.

Detailed Definition:
Comets show up periodically, orbiting a star on the ecliptic orbit with different span from several to thousands of years. The comet appearance changes depending on the distance from the source of heat. If the comet is far away from the star, it only consists of the nucleus. After approaching the source of a heat, the surface of the icy heart of the comet starts heating up and slowly transforms into gas, creating a coma (fuzzy cloud of gas and dust) around the nucleus. When the coma appears, two tails spread behind the nucleus. Due to the ion tail's electric charge, it always points away from the star. The dust tail indicates the path of the nucleus, which is wide, curved and spread behind the nucleus for millions of miles. The most popular comet is Halley's Comet (1P/Halley) which is visible from Earth every 75–79 years.

Etymology:
comet – Greek - koman (κομᾶν) - to wear the hair long

Sample Sentence(s):
There are likely billions of comets orbiting our Sun in the Kuiper Belt and even more distant Oort Cloud.

Translations:

French:
La comète

German:
der Komet

Polish:
Kometa

Swedish:
Komet

Spanish
El cometa

Links to Videos/Articles:
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/comets/overview/
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comets/en/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet#Etymology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Encke
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halley%27s_Comet



Constellation

(Last edited: Friday, 26 May 2023, 5:23 PM)

Term/Concept: 

constellation

Image/Video/Audio:



Image/Video/Audio Source:



Short Definition:

A constellation is a group of stars that are always seen together in the same shape, no matter where they are observed. They are mostly named after animals, mythological subjects or inanimate objects.


Detailed Definition:

The constellations seen from Earth vary by location and season. For example, the constellation Leo seen in the Northern Hemisphere in February will appear in the eastern sky and move higher. However, in the Southern Hemisphere at the same time, it will appear upside down, low in the northeastern sky, and moved westward.

The origin of the constellations dates back to prehistoric times. They were early recognized and named by various cultures, until 1922, when the International Astronomical Union approved 88 of them.

There are star systems named asterisms, which are called constellation derivatives of some kind. They are, unlike their older brother, unofficial, but are also used by astronomers to navigate the sky. 

One of the most famous constellations is Ursa Major, also known as Great Bear, which includes the Big Dipper, one of the most famous asterisms (groups of stars in the sky).


Etymology:

constellation - from Latin constellacio (a set of stars) 


Sample Sentence(s):

Astrology is based on western zodiac that is made of 12 constellations resembling zodiac signs.

The brightest star in the Leo constellation is called Regulus.


Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages [Multiple fields for entering the translation of the term in each partner language, additional languages can potentially be added, e.g. Russian, Chinese, Portuguese]

French: 

la constellation


German:

das Sternbild


Polish:

konstelacja


Swedish:

konstellation


Links to Videos/Articles:




Cosmos

(Last edited: Friday, 28 April 2023, 6:09 PM)

Image:

 Source: 


Short Definition:

The concept of an organized system with pattern and order in the universe.

Detailed Definition:

The idea of the physical universe as a whole system, one having order and pattern. The understanding of the cosmos has been evolving with new discoveries about the universe. This leads to the definition of cosmology as the history of the study of the cosmos as a whole.

Etymology:

Cosmos comes from the Latin Kosmos, which means order or world.

Sample Sentence(s):

The cosmos may now be represented digitally by scientists.

Scientists are hunting for hints as to how the universe came into being.

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages

French: cosmos

German: Kosmos

Polish: kosmos

Swedish: kosmos

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://www.nationalgeographicla.com/cosmos

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363520256_The_Infinite_Cosmos_Ebo_S


Crater

(Last edited: Friday, 28 April 2023, 6:09 PM)

Dedal crater on the Moon
Dedal crater on the Moon

Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moon_Dedal_crater.jpg 

Short Definition:

An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid cosmic body shaped by the hypervelocity collision of a smaller object. Impact craters are the major geographic features on a lot of solid Solar System objects, including the Moon, Mercury, plus the majority of small moons and asteroids.

Detailed Definition:

An impact crater is a circular distortion on the surface of a celestial body caused by the collision of a meteorite, asteroid or comet. Craters are the most common features of the exterior of rocky and rock-ice bodies in the Solar System. The observed number of craters contains data about the age of the geological structure covered by them.  Impact craters should be distinguished from similar structures of other origin, for instance, volcanic craters.

Etymology:

First coined in 1613, from Latin crātēr (“basin”) and from Ancient Greek κρᾱτήρ (krātḗr, “mixing-bowl, wassail-bowl”).

Sample Sentence(s):

"Because of the many missions studying Mars since the 1960s, there is good coverage of its surface, which contains large numbers of craters."
"Complex craters have uplifted centers, and they have typically broad flat shallow crater floors, and terraced walls."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_crater

Translations:

French: 

Cratère

German:

Krater

Polish:

Krater

Swedish:

Krater

Links to Videos/Articles:




Cube Sat

(Last edited: Friday, 28 April 2023, 6:09 PM)


Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CubeSat#/media/File:Ncube2.jpg

Short definition: 

A cube satellite is a standardized miniature satellite, widely used for simpler tasks that require orbital position, as well as for engineering project and research. Due to standardized dimensions and small size, cube sats, as they are also known, are much more affordable than regular big satellites

Detailed Definition:

CubeSats is a class of miniaturized satellite that weight less than 2kg and are usually shaped as a 10cm cube (10cm is referred to as 1U). They are put into orbit by ISS or launched as secondary payload. As of end of 2021, more than 1600 of them have been launched. Cube sats are usually used for experiments that involve hardware which can be miniaturized, like earth observation, amateur radio or research projects. They are also used to demonstrate spacecraft technologies that are either designed for a small satellites or are too expensive or uncertain to safely involve them into a regular size satellite.

Etymology:

Cube – Greek - (kybos)  a six-sided die

Sat – Latin –  (satelles) attendant

Sample Sentence(s):

"CubeSats are employed to demonstrate spacecraft technologies."

"Like larger satellites, CubeSats often feature multiple computers handling different tasks in parallel including the attitude control."

Translations:

French: cube satellite

German: der Würfelsatellit

Swedish: kubformad satellit

Polish: satelita sześcianu

Links to videos/articles:

https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/cubesat/what-is-a-cubesat.asp