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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| Synodic Period |
For planets, the mean interval of time between successive conjunctions of a pair of planets, as observed from the Sun; for satellites, the mean interval between successive conjunctions of a satellite with the Sun, as observed from the satellite’s parent planet.
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| Synthetic Aperture Radar Sar |
A radar technique used, for example, by the Magellan mission to Venus, in which the echoes from radar pulsars emitted at a rate of thousands per second are processed by computer to generate a detailed picture of the structure of the reflecting surface.
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| Syrtis Major Planum Formerly Syrtis Maj |
A cratered volcanic plain on Mars, identified with a dark, triangular feature Syrtis Major easily visible in telescopic views of the planet. The name was officially changed from Planitia to Planum in 1982.
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| Syzygy |
The rough alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon, or the Sun, Earth and another planet. Syzygy thus describes both conjunction and opposition.
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