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vertical circle
(Encyclopedia)vertical circle, in astronomy, the great circle on the celestial sphere that passes from the observer's zenith through a given celestial body. In the altazimuth coordinate system the altitude of a bod...Langley, Samuel Pierpont
(Encyclopedia)Langley, Samuel Pierpont, 1834–1906, American scientist, b. Roxbury, Mass., received only a high school education but continued his studies in science in Boston libraries. He became, in 1866, profes...right ascension
(Encyclopedia)right ascension, in astronomy, one of the coordinates in the equatorial coordinate system. The right ascension of a celestial body is the angular distance measured eastward from the vernal equinox alo...Heck, Richard Fred
(Encyclopedia)Heck, Richard Fred, 1931–2015, American chemist, b. Springfield, Mass., Ph.D. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, 1954. Heck was a researcher at the Hercules Corporation in Wilmington, Del., from 1957...National Science Foundation
(Encyclopedia)National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent agency in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government concerned with promoting a national science policy by supporting basic research and educ...inclination
(Encyclopedia)inclination, in astronomy, the angle of intersection between two planes, one of which is an orbital plane. The inclination of the plane of the moon's orbit is 5°9′ with respect to the plane of the ...Cornu, Marie Alfred
(Encyclopedia)Cornu, Marie Alfred märēˈ älfrĕdˈ kôrnüˈ [key], 1841–1902, French physicist. From 1867 he was professor at the École polytechnique, Paris. He measured the velocity of light and made import...Beta Crucis
(Encyclopedia)Beta Crucis kro͞oˈsĭs [key]: see Mimosa, in astronomy. ...Spitzer Space Telescope
(Encyclopedia)Spitzer Space Telescope: see infrared astronomy; observatory, orbiting. ...nadir
(Encyclopedia)nadir nāˈdər [key] [Arab.,=opposite], in astronomy, the point on the celestial sphere directly opposite the zenith, i.e., directly beneath the observer. ...Browse by Subject
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