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Eris, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Eris, in astronomy, the largest known dwarf planet. Eris, whose highly eccentric elliptical orbit ranges from 38 AU to 97 AU and is inclined more than 44°, is the largest known object of the Kuiper b...

Eros, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Eros, in astronomy: see asteroid. ...

flag, in botany

(Encyclopedia)flag, common name for several plants belonging to the families Iridaceae and Araceae. See iris; arum. ...

flood, in hydrology

(Encyclopedia)flood, inundation of land by the rise and overflow of a body of water. Floods occur most commonly when water from heavy rainfall, from melting ice and snow, or from a combination of these exceeds the ...

fly, in zoology

(Encyclopedia)fly, name commonly used for any of a variety of winged insects, but properly restricted to members of the order Diptera, the true flies, which includes the housefly, gnat, midge, mosquito, and tsetse ...

Epimetheus, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Epimetheus, in astronomy, one of the named moons, or natural satellites, of Saturn. Also known as Saturn XI (or S11), Epimetheus is an irregularly shaped (nonspherical) body measuring about 89 mi (144...

joint, in anatomy

(Encyclopedia)joint, in anatomy, juncture between two bones. Some joints are immovable, e.g., those that connect the bones of the skull, which are separated merely by short, tough fibers of cartilage. Movable joint...

joint, in geology

(Encyclopedia)joint, in geology, fracture in rocks along which no appreciable movement has occurred (see fault). Nearly vertical, or sheet, joints that result from shrinkage during cooling are commonly found in ign...

jack, in zoology

(Encyclopedia)jack: see pompano; tuna. ...

Juno, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Juno jo͞oˈnō [key], in astronomy, 3d asteroid to be discovered. It was found in 1804 by C. Harding. It has a diameter of c.120 mi (190 km). Its average distance from the sun is 2.67 astronomical un...