Cambridge Dictionary of Astronomy

Aberration: "An apparent displacement in the observed position of a star." Earthshine: "A faint illumination of what would otherwise be the 'dark' part of the Moon when its phase is a thin crescent." Peculiar galaxy: "A term loosely applied to any galaxy that does not readily fit into the Hubble classification, shows signs of unusual energetic activity, or is interacting tidally with other neighboring galaxies."

The language of astronomy is both oddly poetic and utterly prosaic, dotted with terms and names from classical mythology (Orion, Charon), Arabic (Aldebaran, Ras Algethi), and no-nonsense scientific classification (jansky, Supernova 1987A). In this gathering of more than 3,000 entries, ranging from Abell Catalogue to ZZ Ceti Star, Cambridge-trained astronomer Jacqueline Mitton provides an authoritative survey of the most commonly used technical terms in the discipline, along with a few terms borrowed from physics and space science. Many of the entries are cross-referenced and illustrated. The result is an accessibly written reference that is of particular use to students and hobbyists. --Gregory McNamee