uranography the mapping of the stars.
uranometry the scientific measurement of the distances, brightness, and positions of celestial bodies.
variable star a star with a varying magnitude or brightness.
white dwarf a tiny star comparable in volume to the Earth but with a mass equal to the Sun's and a density a million times that of water.
young referring to a moon or planetary surface that has a small number of craters, an indication of the planet's age.
zenith the point in the sky directly overhead.
zodiac the 12 constellations aligned along the ecliptic through which the Sun, Moon, and most of the planets travel.
zodiacal light a hazy band of light consisting of dust illuminated by the Sun and sometimes seen from Earth.
sun
acronical occurring at sunset
bright spots X-ray and ultraviolet flashes on the Sun's surface closely associated with intense magnetic fields.
chromosphere the reddish solar atmosphere between the photosphere and the corona.
corona the tenuous outer atmosphere of the Sun extending into space for millions of miles but generally only visible during an eclipse.
coronal holes holes in the Sun's Corona created by openings in the Sun's magnetic fields through which are emitted high-speed solar wind particles; largely responsible for the magnetic storms on Earth.
coronal mass ejection a massive bubble of gas that periodically explodes from the Sun and discharges a wave of charged particles into space and toward Earth, disrupting satellite functioning and occasionally blacking out entire cities. Also known as a solar storm.
facula a bright spot on the surface of the Sun, especially near its perimeter.
filament a finger of cool gas suspended above the photosphere that may appear slightly darker against the brilliance of the Sun's surface.
flare an eruption on the Sun, causing a brightening and a jet of radiation and particles to be ejected into space, sometimes toward Earth. Flares occur most often near sunspots.
gegenschein a faint reflection of the Sun that may form on dust particles and appears in the evening sky opposite where the Sun has set.
granulation a reticular pattern of small bright areas or cells on the surface of the Sun.
helio referring to the Sun.
heliocentric relating to the Sun as a center; relative to the Sun.
heliolatry worship of the Sun.
Helios in Greek mythology, the sun god who drove his chariot across the sky from east to west each day.
heliosphere an area encompassing the area of the Sun and solar system out beyond Pluto, where the solar magnetic field can be found.
heliotaxis the movement of an organism in response to sunlight.
heliotherapy sunlight therapy.
heliotrope any plant that bends or turns to follow the daily path of the Sun.
mock sun a false image of the Sun, often watery in appearance, formed by the refraction or bending of light by hexagonal crystals of ice in the air. Also known as a sun dog.
neutrino produced by thermonuclear fusion in the Sun's core, a massless particle that has the bizarre ability to pass through physical objects such as the Earth.
penumbra the outer, lighter-colored border of a sunspot.
photosphere the visible surface of the Sun.
plage a bright spot or granulation appearing in the chromosphere.
plasma an electrically-charged, gaslike substance emitted by the Sun.
prominence a cool jet, stream, or arch of gas that rises from the chromosphere and into the corona, visible during an eclipse.
proton-proton chain the nuclear process by which energy is produced and hydrogen is converted into helium in the core of stars, including the Sun.
Ra Egyptian sun god.
sigmoid an S-shaped formation of plasma on the surface of the Sun that presages a coronal mass ejection.
Sol the Latin name for the Sun.
solar constant the total radiant energy put out by the Sun on a continuing basis, specifically 1,369 watts per square meter as measured above Earth's atmosphere.
solar cycle the 11-year cycle of sunspot and solar flare activity, known to cause, at its peak, increased magnetic storm effects on Earth. Also known as sun- spot cycle.
solar eclipse the obscuring of the Sun caused by the Moon passing in front of it.
solar flare a huge tongue of gases and particles extending suddenly from a catastrophic explosion on the Sun's surface to millions of miles out into space.
solar nebula the massive cloud of gas and dust that collapsed and contracted to form the Sun approximately 5 billion years ago.
solar oscillation a pulsation of the Sun.
solar storm see coronal mass ejection.
solar wind particles and gases spewed from the Sun at speeds exceeding 1 million miles per hour.
spicule a thin jet of bright gas emitted from the sun. sun dog see mock sun.
sunspot a dark spot on the Sun's surface having a lower temperature than its surrounding area and strongly associated with intense magnetic fields.
sunspot cycle see solar cycle.
umbra the dark, central region of a sunspot.
variable star a star with varying luminosity; the Sun is variable but to only a slight degree.
s
PORTS
ARCHERY
American round a competitive round in which each contestant shoots 30 arrows at 60 yards, 30 at 50 yards, and 30 at 40 yards.
animal round a competitive round in which each contestants shoots at lifelike animal targets from 10 to 60 yards.
archer's paralysis a psychological problem in which the archer "chokes" under pressure, loses his aim, or becomes incapable of releasing when aligned on target.
arm guard an inner forearm covering made of leather or plastic; it protects the bow arm from the bow string.
barebow shooting without a sighting aid on a bow.
battle clouts a competition in which 36 broadhead arrows are shot 200 yards to a large target.
belly the side of the bow closest to the bow string.
blunt an arrow with a flat tip, used to stun small game.
bow the pliable wood and fiberglass apparatus that holds the bowstring.
bow hand when shooting, the hand that holds the bow.
bowsight a sight or aiming aid on the top half of the bow.
bowstring the synthetic or waxed linen string that is pulled back and released to protect an arrow.
bow weight a bow's draw weight.
broadhead a hunting arrow having a broad head or two or more blades.
bullseye the center of a target.
clout a 48-foot target with a 1%-foot center, used for long-distance shooting and scored the same as a standard-size target.
clout shooting shooting at a clout from 120 to 180 yards away.