Space exploration began with the launch of Sputnik and Astrophysics was born as the application of physics to the phenomena observed by Astronomy, which etymologically means laws of the stars.
There are 2759 entries in this glossary.| Term | Definition |
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| Beta Pictoris β Pic |
A fourth magnitude A star, which is surrounded by a disc of material. Attention was focused on the star when it was found to be emitting strongly in the infrared. Optical observations confirmed the presence of the disc with a diameter about ten times the size of Pluto’s orbit round the Sun. It is believed that planetary systems, such as the solar system, form from such discs of matter around stars.
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