UNIVERSEH: The European Space University

Source:

Short Definition:
A Comet is a small object orbiting the star (e.g. the Sun) composed of dust, rock and ices. Comets appear in our solar system and have mostly origin in Kuiper belt or Oort Cloud.

Detailed Definition:
Comets show up periodically, orbiting a star on the ecliptic orbit with different span from several to thousands of years. The comet appearance changes depending on the distance from the source of heat. If the comet is far away from the star, it only consists of the nucleus. After approaching the source of a heat, the surface of the icy heart of the comet starts heating up and slowly transforms into gas, creating a coma (fuzzy cloud of gas and dust) around the nucleus. When the coma appears, two tails spread behind the nucleus. Due to the ion tail's electric charge, it always points away from the star. The dust tail indicates the path of the nucleus, which is wide, curved and spread behind the nucleus for millions of miles. The most popular comet is Halley's Comet (1P/Halley) which is visible from Earth every 75–79 years.

Sample Sentence(s):
There are likely billions of comets orbiting our Sun in the Kuiper Belt and even more distant Oort Cloud.

French:
La comète

German:
der Komet

Polish:
kometa

Swedish:
Komet

Spanish
El cometa

Links to Videos/Articles:
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/comets/overview/
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comets/en/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet#Etymology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Encke
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halley%27s_Comet

Dedal crater on the Moon Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moon_Dedal_crater.jpg

Short Definition:

An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid cosmic body shaped by the hypervelocity collision of a smaller object. Impact craters are the major geographic features on a lot of solid Solar System objects, including the Moon, Mercury, plus the majority of small moons and asteroids.

Detailed Definition:

An impact crater is a circular distortion on the surface of a celestial body caused by the collision of a meteorite, asteroid or comet. Craters are the most common features of the exterior of rocky and rock-ice bodies in the Solar System. The observed number of craters contains data about the age of the geological structure covered by them.  Impact craters should be distinguished from similar structures of other origin, for instance, volcanic craters.

Etymology:

First coined in 1613, from Latin crātēr (“basin”) and from Ancient Greek κρᾱτήρ (krātḗr, “mixing-bowl, wassail-bowl”).

Sample Sentence(s):

"Because of the many missions studying Mars since the 1960s, there is good coverage of its surface, which contains large numbers of craters."
"Complex craters have uplifted centers, and they have typically broad flat shallow crater floors, and terraced walls."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_crater

Translations:

French: 

Cratère

German:

Krater

Polish:

krater

Swedish:

Krater

Links to Videos/Articles:

Image/Video/Audio Source: Hemmingsen, J.A. (2016, January 8). aurora borealis in Ersfjordbotn. flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/64104971@N02/24226248576

Short Definition:
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae) is a sporadic atmospheric phenomenon occurring usually in the night at high latitudes.

Etymology:
aurora – aurora- Latin - dawn

French:
l' aurore

German:
Das Polarlicht

Polish:
zorza polarna

Swedish:
Norrsken

Spanish:
Aurora

Links to Videos/Articles:
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/aurora/en/
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/glossary/en/
https://astronomy.com/observing/observe-the-solar-system/2010/04/the-aurora
https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/a/Aurora

Source: https://astronomy.com/news/2020/03/whats-the-difference-between-dark-matter-and-dark-energy

Definition:

Dark energy (not to be mistaken with dark matter) makes up approximately 68% of the universe, and it is distributed evenly not only in space, but also in time (therefore it has a global effect on the universe as a whole). This is a repulsive force, that accelerates the expansion of the universe. The rate of expansion and its acceleration can be measured by observations based on the Hubble law. The existence of dark energy is proven and its role in the universe can be described thanks to Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity. 

Example Sentence(s):

"Dark energy is generally accepted as contributing to the increased acceleration of the expanding universe, so understanding this relationship will help to refine how physicists and astrophysicists understand it."

"And there are still no final answers to the questions surrounding dark energy."

Translations:

• French: L'énergie sombre
• German: Dunkle Energie
  
• Polish: Ciemna energia
• Russian: тёмная энергия 
• Swedish: Mörk energi

Links to Videos/Articles:

Source: https://astronomy.com/news/2020/03/whats-the-difference-between-dark-matter-and-dark-energy

Definition: 

Dark matter (not to be mistaken with dark energy) makes up about 27% of the universe. Unlike normal matter, dark matter does not interact with electromagnetic forces. This means it does not absorb, reflect or emit light, therefore it can't be seen, but researchers can detect it and map it by measuring gravitational lensing. Because of these properties, it works like an attractive force, holding the universe together. 

In the 1930s, astronomer Fritz Zwicky studied images of around 1,000 galaxies that make up the Coma Cluster and speculated that some kind of matter must be keeping them together. Astronomers Vera Rubin and Kent Ford found a similar phenomenon when they studied the rotation rates of individual galaxies, with even more evidence of the features mentioned above.

The existence of dark matter is so widely accepted that it’s part of the "standard model of cosmology", although there is no solid evidence that it is real. There are many theories suggesting that physics beyond the Standard Model, such as supersymmetry and extra dimensions, exist. If other parallel universes exist, then physical features of each universe would be different, therefore the amount of dark matter in each universe would be different. Dark matter helps scientists gain a better understanding of the composition of our universe and how galaxies are held together. 

Sample Sentence(s):

"You can see the galaxy clusters that Professor Zwicky studied to discover Dark Matter."

"Dr. Shepherd's work enhances our profile in the area of Dark Matter exploration significantly."

Translations:

• French: Matière Noire
• German: Dunkle Materie
• Polish: Ciemna materia
• Russian: тёмная материя
• Swedish: Mörk materia

Links to Videos/Articles:

Source: https://dart.jhuapl.edu/Gallery/media/graphics/lg/DART-infographic_v4.jpg

Definition: 

A mission planned by NASA to test a method of planetary defense by redirecting an asteroid, which could hypothetically pose a threat to Earth, by means of the DART spacecraft deliberately crashing itself into this asteroid.

The DART spacecraft was built by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and was launched on November 23, 2021 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Its target is the binary near-Earth asteroid Didymos (780 m across) and its secondary body, or “moonlet”, Dimorphos (163 m across). This binary asteroid is situated roughly 11 million kilometers from the Earth and does not pose a threat to the planet, but corresponds to the size of a potentially hazardous celestial body (140 m or more in diameter). As a result of the planned collision at the end of September 2022, the orbit of Dimorphos will change, this change will be observed and measured using telescopes on Earth and the data will be used to predict effectiveness of kinetic impact for the purpose of asteroid deflection as a planetary defense method.

(https://blogs.nasa.gov/dart/2021/11/24/nasa-spacex-launch-dart-first-planetary-defense-test-mission/)

Etymology:

DART stands for “Double Asteroid Redirection Test”

Translations:

• French: Test de déviation d'un astéroïde double – [tɛst də de.vja.sjɔ̃ dœ̃ as.te.ʁɔ.id dubl]
  
• German: Doppel-Asteroiden-Umleitungs-Test – [ˈdɔpl̩ asteʁoˈiːdn̩ ˈʊmˌlaɪ̯tʊŋs tɛst]
  
• Polish: – Misja DART (test przekierowania podwójnej asteroidy)
• Russian: испытания перенаправления двойного астероида – [ɪspɨˈtanʲɪjɐ pʲɪrʲɪnəprɐˈvlʲenʲɪɪ̯ɐ dvɐjˈnovə ɐsʲtʲɪˈroɪdə]
  
• Swedish:– []

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbL07cZUEMU

More detailed information on the project:

https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense/dart

https://dart.jhuapl.edu/

Definition:

The smaller of the two natural satellites/moons of Mars situated farthest from the planet.

Etymology:

Named after Deimos, the Ancient Greek god of terror, twin brother of Phobos, son of Ares (the equivalent of the Ancient Roman god of war Mars).

Translations:

• English: Deimos    [ˈdaɪmɒs]
  
• French: Déimos    [deimos]
  
• German: Deimos (m)    []
  
• Polish: Deimos, Dejmos
• Russian: Деймос (m)    [ˈdejməs]
  
• Swedish:

Links to Videos/Articles:

Source: By James St. John - Brachinite (NWA 3151 Meteorite) 3, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34763072

Short Definition:

A process that a planetary body goes through during its formation to acquire its physio-chemical composition. Elementary differentiation can be witnessed on planets, and natural satellites such as the moon.

Detailed Definition:

Etymology:

1. Elementary (Adjective), originating from Latin elementarius, which means “belonging to the constituents of all things”.

2. Differentiation (Verb), originating from Medieval Latin, differentiatus, which means “to distinguish”.

Sample Sentence(s):

“These high precision measurements (δ⁵⁶Fe ≈ ± 0.04‰, 2 S.D.) place tight constraints on Fe isotope fractionation during planetary differentiation.”

Translations:

• French: Différenciation élémentaire
  
• German: Elementare Differenzierung
  
• Polish: Dyferencjacja planetarna
  
• Swedish: Elementär differentiering
  

Links to Videos/Articles:

[Gardner-Vandy et Al. (2012)] The Tafassasset primitive achondrite: Insights into initial stages of planetary differentiation

Differentiation Planetary, Frank Sohl and Doris Breuer, Encyclopedia of Astrobiology.

U.S. Air Force. (2010, November). F100 F-15 engine. Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/F100_F-15_engine.JPG Photograph of a jet engine in operation, with a long converging plume of hot gas streaming out from the nozzle

Short Definition:

A jet engine is a reaction engine that produces a jet of heated gas to be discharged from the engine as a reaction mass. The Propelling gas is usually air, especially when the engine is used in the atmosphere on flying vehicles, but can be other gas or liquid.

Detailed Definition:

A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast-moving (often supersonic) jet of hot gas (usually air, if the engine is used in the atmosphere) and to generate thrust. Jet engines are usually internal combustion engines and used everywhere: on planes, boats and rockets.

Etymology:

Jet – from French jet– throw, cast, gush, spurtEngine – from Middle English engyn or Anglo-Norman engine or Old French engin– skill, cleverness, war machine

Sample Sentences:

The jet engine roared as the airplane accelerated down the runway.

Translations

References:

SKYbrary Aviation Safety. (2019, December). Jet engine. Retrieved from https://www.skybrary.aero/articles/jet-engine

Airbus. (2016, November). Flight operations briefing notes – Supplementary techniques : Handling engine malfunctions. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20161022181226/http://www.airbus.com/fileadmin/media_gallery/files/safety_library_items/AirbusSafetyLib_-FLT_OPS-SUPP_TECH-SEQ07.pdf