Glossaries

Dictionary of Space Concepts

Welcome to the Dictionary of Space Concepts

What is the Dictionary of Space Concepts?

The Dictionary of Space Concepts (DSC) is a project by UNIVERSEH – the European Space University of Earth and Humanity. Starting in 2020, this Alliance of five European Universities decided to launch an online dictionary dealing with terms and concepts related to space sciences. It should be created and used by students, lecturers, researchers and citizens alike.

After an initial planning phase, the DSC was published in spring 2022. It opens up several opportunities for all members of the UNIVERSEH Alliance and interested citizens to contribute to the content of the DSC.

In our course "Terms and Concepts of Space" (to the registration) , students learn how to write a dictionary article and later on contribute several entries to the DSC. Students and other members of the UNIVERSEH Alliance can also submit articles for the DSC via an entry in here . Interested citizens can contribute in this entry platform.

Once submitted, these articles are reviewed by UNIVERSEH Alliance staff and, if necessary, edited before their publication in the Dictionary.

In this way, the DSC is a dynamic project that is constantly expanding in content and quality through constant contributions from students, staff and citizens.

Sunday, 13 October 2024, 7:13 AM

Site: UNIVERSEH: The European Space University

Course: UNIVERSEH: The European Space University (UNIVERSEH)

Glossary: Dictionary of Space Concepts

Q

Quasar (Last edited: Sunday, 1 October 2023, 7:17 PM)
Creator(s): Unknown Year: (n.d.) Title of image: Artist's rendering of ULAS J1120+0641 Description of image: Artist's rendering depicting ULAS J1120+0641, a distant quasar discovered in 2011. Retrieved from URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Artist%27s_rendering_ULAS_J1120%2B0641.jpg on May 29, 2023 Definitions Short Definition A quasar is an extremely bright and distant object in space that releases enormous amounts of energy. It is thought to be powered by a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy. Quasars were first discovered in the early 1960s. Detailed Definition A quasar, or quasi-stellar radio source, is an incredibly luminous and distant celestial object emitting vast amounts of energy across various wavelengths. Powered by a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy, quasars appear as star-like points of light but are located milliards of light-years away from Earth. They emit radio waves, visible light and X-rays, making them valuable for studying the early universe. Quasars' immense brightness provides insights into galaxy formation, black hole evolution, and the nature of spacetime. Despite their small size, quasars outshine entire galaxies and continue to captivate astronomers in their quest to unravel the secrets of these cosmic powerhouses. Etymology The term "quasar" is an abbreviation of the phrase "quasi-stellar radio source." It originated in the early 1960s when astronomers first discovered and studied these enigmatic celestial objects Sample Sentence(s) 1. In 1963, the first measurement of the distance to a quasar — a radio source that looks like a star in visible light — showed it to be an enormously powerful beacon lying billions of light years away. Author : Rober Antonucci, Year: (2013) Title of the article: Astronomy: Quasars at record distance Title of the Journal: Nature Volume : 495(7439) Page range: 165-166, Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/495165a on May 29, 2023 2. As a student studying concepts of space, I was fascinated to learn about the powerful and distant quasars that emit extraordinary amounts of energy, shedding light on the mysteries of the universe. Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages French un quasar German der Quasar Italian Quasar Polish Kwazar Swedish Kvasar Additional Translations of Terms/Concepts into Other Lang... Russian: Квазар Links to Videos/Articles: https://youtu.be/djQfyhqrERw https://www.britannica.com/science/quasar Tags: black hole celestial object light-years X-rays galaxy