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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| K Corona |
corona.
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| K Line |
Fraunhofer lines.
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| K Star |
A star of spectral type K. K stars have surface temperatures in the range 3,500-4,900 K and are orange in colour. Lines of neutral and ionized calcium are prominent in the spectrum; there are also numerous lines of neutral metals and molecular bands, particularly at the cooler end of the range. Arcturus and Aldebaran are examples of K stars.
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| Kamacite |
An alloy of iron and nickel that occurs as platelets or single crystals in iron meteorites and also as grains in chondrites and achondrites.
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| Kamiokande |
super-Kamiokande.
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| Kao |
Abbreviation for Kuiper Airborne Observatory.
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| Kappa Crucis κ Cru |
The most prominent star in the open cluster NGC 3324, popularly known as the Jewel Box.
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| Kapteyn Telescope |
Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope.
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| Kapteyn’s Star |
An eighth magnitude M star HD 33793, notable for its relatively large proper motion 8.7 arc seconds per year - the second largest known after Barnard’s star - and high radial velocity 245 km/s. At a distance of 12.7 light years, it is among the stars nearest to the solar system. Its properties were discovered in 1897 by the Dutch astronomer J. C. Kapteyn 1851-1922, and it lies in the southern constellation Pictor.
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| Karl Schwarzschild Observatory |
A German observatory, located at Tautenburg near Jena, which was founded in 1960 as part of the Academy of Sciences of the former German Democratic Republic. It is equipped with a Zeiss 2-metre 78-inch reflecting telescope which can be used as a photographic Schmidt camera or at the Cassegrain or coudé focus.
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| Kaus Australis Epsilon Sagittarii; ^ |
The brightest star in the constellation Sagittarius. With Kaus Meridionalis Delta and Kaus Borealis Lambda, it marks the Archer’s bow. It is a B star of magnitude 1.9.
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| Keck Observatories |
Two 10-metre 400-inch reflecting telescopes belonging jointly to the California Institute of Technology Caltech and the University of California. They are located at the Mauna Kea Observatories on the island of Hawaii and have been funded by the W. M. Keck Foundation. The first telescope was completed in 1992 and the second in 1996.
The primary mirrors of these Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes are of a unique pioneering design, each consisting of 36 individual hexagonal segments. The precise figure of the mirrors is maintained by a combination of specially designed passive supports and active control, monitored by computer. By this means, it was possible to construct such large-aperture telescopes and assemble them at a remote mountain-top site. The use of adaptive optics makes it possible to produce images with a resolution of 0.04 arcseconds at a wavelength of 2 microns.
It will be possible to use the two telescopes together as an interferometer. Because Keck I and Keck II are about 85 metres nearly 280 feet apart, they will have a resolution equivalent to a telescope with an 85-metre mirror, or about 0.005 arc seconds at a wavelength of 2 microns.
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| Keel |
English name for the constellation Carina.
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| Keeler Gap |
A narrow gap towards the outer edge of the bright A ring of Saturn.
See also: planetary rings
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| Keenan’s System |
The galaxies NGC 5216 and 5218 in Ursa Major.
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