Astronomy Glossary

Telescopes Equipment

Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes (SCTs) combine a Schmidt corrector plate at the front with Cassegrain optics, creating a versatile, compact system.

Galaxies

Seyfert galaxies are spiral galaxies with bright, compact nuclei showing strong emission lines, a nearby moderate-luminosity class of AGN.

Cosmology Universe

A singularity in General Relativity is a point where spacetime curvature becomes infinite and physical laws break down.

Telescopes Equipment

Solar filters provide the ONLY safe way to observe the Sun through telescopes or binoculars, protecting eyes from permanent retinal damage.

Solar System

A solar flare is a sudden, intense burst of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun's surface, caused by magnetic energy release in the corona.

Solar System

The solar wind is a continuous stream of charged particles (mostly electrons and protons) flowing outward from the Sun's corona at high speeds through...

Astronomy Concepts

A solstice occurs when the Sun reaches its northernmost or southernmost point in the sky, marking the longest and shortest days of the year.

Astronomy Concepts

Spectral classification categorizes stars by surface temperature via absorption line patterns, using OBAFGKM sequence.

Astronomy Concepts

A spectrum is light dispersed by wavelength, revealing composition, temperature, velocity, and physical conditions of astronomical objects.

Galaxies

Spiral galaxies are disk-shaped galaxies with prominent spiral arm patterns, active star formation, and significant gas content.

Stellar Objects

A star is a self-luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity, generating energy through nuclear fusion in its core.

Telescopes Equipment

A star diagonal is a mirror or prism at 90° that redirects the light path, making viewing more comfortable by positioning the eyepiece at right angles...

Galaxies

Starburst galaxies undergo exceptionally intense star formation at rates 100-1,000× higher than normal galaxies, consuming gas rapidly.

Galaxies

Superclusters are massive structures containing multiple galaxy clusters and groups, spanning hundreds of millions of light-years, though not gravitat...

Stellar Objects

A supernova is a catastrophic stellar explosion, briefly outshining entire galaxies and producing most elements heavier than iron.

Stellar Objects

Supernova remnants (SNRs) are expanding shells of gas and magnetic fields produced by supernova explosions, observable for tens of thousands of years.