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Oort, Jan Hendrik
(Encyclopedia)Oort, Jan Hendrik ōrt [key], 1900–1992, Dutch astronomer. He confirmed (1927) Bertil Lindblad's theory of the Milky Way galaxy's rotation. In the 1950s he and his colleagues used radio astronomical...Beckham, David
(Encyclopedia)Beckham, David (David Robert Joseph Beckham), 1975–, English soccer player known especially for the power and accuracy of his free kicks. After beginning to play on the Manchester United youth squad...interstellar matter
(Encyclopedia)interstellar matter, matter in a galaxy between the stars, known also as the interstellar medium. The interstellar gas, which constitutes about 99% of the interstellar matter, consists mostly of hyd...radio astronomy
(Encyclopedia)radio astronomy, study of celestial bodies by means of the electromagnetic radio frequency waves they emit and absorb naturally. Radio waves also come from outside the Milky Way. These extragalact...Sagittarius
(Encyclopedia)Sagittarius săjĭtârˈēəs [key] [Lat.,=the archer], constellation lying on the ecliptic (the sun's apparent path through the heavens) between Scorpius and Capricornus; it is one of the constellati...variable star
(Encyclopedia)variable star, star that varies, either periodically or irregularly, in the intensity of the light it emits. Other physical changes are usually correlated with the fluctuations in brightness, such as ...Kapteyn, Jacobus Cornelius
(Encyclopedia)Kapteyn, Jacobus Cornelius yäkōˈbəs kôrnāˈlēəs käptīnˈ [key], 1851–1922, Dutch astronomer. He was an authority on the Milky Way, of which he made notable statistical studies; he construc...Messier catalog
(Encyclopedia)Messier catalog mĕsyāˈ [key], systematic list of nebulae and star clusters. A first list, compiled and published in 1771 by Charles Messier, contained 45 objects. The final list, published in 1784,...Magellanic Clouds
(Encyclopedia)Magellanic Clouds măjˌəlănˈĭk [key], two dwarf galaxies located in the far southern sky and visible to the unaided eye; they are classified as irregular because they show no definite symmetry or...supernova
(Encyclopedia)supernova, a massive star in the latter stages of stellar evolution that suddenly contracts and then explodes, increasing its energy output as much as a billionfold. Supernovas are the principal distr...Browse by Subject
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