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C

Canadian Space Agency

(Last edited: Wednesday, 1 March 2023, 4:31 PM)
Definition:

Canadian Space Agency is a national space agency of Canada, whose aim is to coordinate spaceflight activities. It is responsible for space exploration (focusing on physical processes in stars), as well as Earth observation and monitoring its resources.

Canadian Space Agency was established in 1989  and works on space science and exploration, satellite communications, and it also provides space awareness and promotes the activities of the organisation. International cooperation with other space agencies is also part of the CSA’s mission. The headquarters are located in Longueuil, Canada.


Sample Sentence(s):

"The Canadian Space Agency is now developing a next generation of satellites."

"The Canadian Space Agency is a founding member of the Charter."


Translations:

  • French: Agence spatiale canadienne
  • German: Kanadische Weltraumorganisation
  • Polish: Kandyjska Agencja Kosmiczna
  • Swedish: kanadensiska rymdorganisationen


Links to Videos/Articles:

https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/default.asp


Chandrasekhar limit

(Last edited: Friday, 1 September 2023, 12:48 PM)
https://edu.universeh.eu/pluginfile.php/1501/mod_glossary/entry/965/Chandrasekhar%20limit.png Creator : Unknown Year: (n.d.) Title of image: White Dwarf Mass-Radius Relationship Description of image: Graph illustrating the mass-radius relationship of white dwarf stars Retrieved from URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/WhiteDwarf_mass-radius_en.svg/860px-WhiteDwarf_mass-radius_en.svg.png

Creator : Unknown Year: (n.d.) Title of image: White Dwarf Mass-Radius Relationship Description of image: Graph illustrating the mass-radius relationship of white dwarf stars Retrieved from URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/WhiteDwarf_mass-radius_en.svg/860px-WhiteDwarf_mass-radius_en.svg.png



Definitions


Short Definition

The Chandrasekhar limit is a fundamental concept in astrophysics that determines the maximum mass a white dwarf star can attain. It is named after the Indian astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, who proposed this limit in 1930. According to the Chandrasekhar limit, if a white dwarf exceeds about 1.4 times the mass of the Sun, it will collapse under its own gravity, leading to a catastrophic event such as a supernova explosion.


Detailed Definition

The Chandrasekhar limit is the maximum mass that a white dwarf star can have before it undergoes a collapse and explodes in a type of supernova known as a Type Ia supernova. This limit was first proposed by Indian astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar in 1930, who showed that if a white dwarf exceeds a certain mass, the pressure generated by electrons in the star's core can no longer balance the force of gravity, causing the star to collapse under its own weight.

The Chandrasekhar limit is currently estimated to be about 1.4 times the mass of the Sun. When a white dwarf reaches this mass, it can no longer support itself through electron degeneracy pressure and instead collapses into a neutron star or black hole. The collapse generates a tremendous amount of energy, which is released in a supernova explosion.



Etymology

This term was first proposed by Indian astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar in 1930.

Sample Sentence(s)


Please provide 1-2 sample sentences using the term/concept in its appropriate scientific context and most common usage.


The Chandrasekhar limit determines whether a star ends its life as a smoldering white dwarf, or explodes in a supernova to become a neutron star or black hole.

Author : Staff, Space.com Year: (n.d.) Title of the article: Chandrasekhar Limit: Definition, Facts & Equation Title of the Website: Space.com Retrieved Date: May 29, 2023 URL: https://www.space.com/chandrasekhar-limit

 

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages


French

La masse de Chandrasekhar


German

das Chandrasekhar- Grenze


Italian

Limite di Chandrasekhar


Polish
granica Chandrasekhara


Swedish

Chandrasekhargränsen

Additional Translations of Terms/Concepts into Other Lang...


Russian: Предел Чандрасекара

 

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://www.toppr.com/guides/physics/astronomy/chandrasekhar-limit/

Author(s): Unknown Year: (n.d.) Title of the article: Chandrasekhar Limit Title of the Website: Toppr.com Retrieved Date: May 29, 2023, URL: https://www.toppr.com/guides/physics/astronomy/chandrasekhar-limit/

 



ClearSpace-1

(Last edited: Friday, 1 September 2023, 12:17 PM)


Source: ESA - ESA commissions world’s first space debris removal

Source: ESA - ESA commissions world’s first space debris removal

Definition:

ClearSpace-1 is a mission targeting the removal of the Vega Secondary Payload Adapter (Vega) which is planned for launch in 2025. The mission is brought forward as a service contract with a startup-led commercial consortium, to help establish a new market for in-orbit servicing, as well as debris removal.

The ClearSpace-1 ‘chaser’ will be launched into a lower 500-km orbit for commissioning and critical tests before being raised to the target orbit for rendezvous and capture using a quartet of robotic arms under ESA supervision. The combined chaser plus Vespa will then be deorbited to burn up in the atmosphere.


Etymology:

Sample Sentences(s):

Translations:
  • French:
  • German:
  • Polish: Misja ClearSpace-1
  • Swedish:

Links to Videos/Articles:

ESA - ESA commissions world’s first space debris

earth observation for sustainable development (esa.int) removal

Tags:

Comet

(Last edited: Friday, 1 September 2023, 12:49 PM)


Source:

Hassell, E. (2020, July 16). Comet NEOWISE over Queen Valley. flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/115357548@N08/50120466697

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.

Etymology:
comet – Greek - koman (κομᾶν) - to wear the hair long

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

Translations:

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



Constellation

(Last edited: Tuesday, 29 August 2023, 5:32 PM)

Term/Concept: 

constellation

Image/Video/Audio:

Term/Concept: constellation Image/Video/Audio: Image/Video/Audio Source: Sullivan, R. (2017, June 12). Constellations map. flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/47430793@N08/35249283965

Term/Concept: constellation Image/Video/Audio: Image/Video/Audio Source: Sullivan, R. (2017, June 12). Constellations map. flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/47430793@N08/35249283965

Short Definition:

A constellation is a group of stars that are always seen together in the same shape, no matter where they are observed. They are mostly named after animals, mythological subjects or inanimate objects.


Detailed Definition:

The constellations seen from Earth vary by location and season. For example, the constellation Leo seen in the Northern Hemisphere in February will appear in the eastern sky and move higher. However, in the Southern Hemisphere at the same time, it will appear upside down, low in the northeastern sky, and moved westward.

The origin of the constellations dates back to prehistoric times. They were early recognized and named by various cultures, until 1922, when the International Astronomical Union approved 88 of them.

There are star systems named asterisms, which are called constellation derivatives of some kind. They are, unlike their older brother, unofficial, but are also used by astronomers to navigate the sky. 

One of the most famous constellations is Ursa Major, also known as Great Bear, which includes the Big Dipper, one of the most famous asterisms (groups of stars in the sky).


Etymology:

constellation - from Latin constellacio (a set of stars) 


Sample Sentence(s):

Astrology is based on western zodiac that is made of 12 constellations resembling zodiac signs.

The brightest star in the Leo constellation is called Regulus.


Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages [Multiple fields for entering the translation of the term in each partner language, additional languages can potentially be added, e.g. Russian, Chinese, Portuguese]

French: 

la constellation


German:

das Sternbild


Polish:

konstelacja


Swedish:

konstellation


Links to Videos/Articles:




Copernicus Programme

(Last edited: Friday, 1 September 2023, 12:18 PM)


Definition:

European Earth observation programme aiming at monitoring land, atmosphere and the marine environment, supporting emergency management, ensuring civil security and mitigating the consequences of climate change.

The programme was officially established in 2014 by the European Commission and the European Space Agency, serving as a successor of the project GMES (Global Monitoring of Environmental Security), which has existed since 1998. Copernicus Programme utilizes the Sentinel missions for surveillance and observation of land, ocean and atmosphere, as well as a range of contributing missions organized by various countries.

Etymology:

The programme is named after Nicolaus Copernicus, who was a Renaissance scientist and the author of the heliocentric model of the Universe.


Translations:
  • French:
  • German:
  • Polish: Program Copernicus
  • Swedish:

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Europe_s_Copernicus_programme

https://www.copernicus.eu/en/copernicus-services

https://www.copernicus.eu



Cosmic rays

(Last edited: Saturday, 30 September 2023, 5:48 PM)


Short definition: Cosmic rays are high energy particles that travel through space at nearly the speed of light. Most cosmic rays are represented by atomic nuclei stripped of their atoms.


Detailed definition: Cosmic rays were discovered by Victor Hess in 1912. They originate from the Sun, from the Milky Way, and from distant galaxies. Most cosmic rays (89%) are protons of hydrogen, but some of them are nuclei of helium (around 10%) and other, heavier nuclei. Only about 1% of cosmic rays are lone electrons. Once a cosmic ray reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, it collides with other atoms there and bursts them into different particles, namely pions, muons and neutrinos.
The extremely high energy that cosmic rays have often causes electronics to malfunction: for example, corrupted data in memory devices or incorrect performance in CPUs. Cosmic rays used to be a problem mainly in spacecraft, satellites and high-altitude aircraft, but is becoming a concern in regular electronics too due to transistors becoming smaller in size.


Etymology: Cosmic comes from Ancient Greek κόσμος (kósmos, “order, proper order of the world”). The term ray likely arose because cosmic rays were initially believed to be electromagnetic radiation.


Sample sentence(s): Cosmic rays follow convoluted paths and arrive at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere from all directions.


Translations:

French: Rayonnement cosmique

German: Kosmische Strahlung

Italian: Raggi cosmici

Polish: Promieniowanie kosmiczne, promienie kosmiczne

Swedish:  Kosmiska partiklar

Links to Videos/Articles:

Cosmic Rays - Introduction. (n.d.). https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/cosmic_rays1.html


Friedlander, M. W. (2023, April 21). Cosmic ray | Definition, Types, Effects, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/cosmic-ray


Vox. (2019, August 30). The mysterious rays shooting at us from space [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Z9gQLELtbhg





Cosmochemistry

(Last edited: Saturday, 30 September 2023, 5:50 PM)


Short Definition:

The chemistry of cosmic objects or the chemistry of objects in space, such as the chemistry of the Moon, Mars, the Sun, asteroids, quasars, etc. and their effects on each other. 


Detailed Definition:

Cosmochemistry is the study of the chemical compositions of matter in the universe and the processes that led to those compositions. Cosmochemistry is primarily done by studying the chemical compositions of cosmic objects or the chemistry of objects in space.

For example, carbonaceous meteorites were among the earliest formed bodies in the solar system. Their organic carbon is an indicator of chemical processes that occurred before the dawn of life on Earth. By studying carbonaceous meteorites and the origin and fate of their organic compounds, we begin to understand the general process of chemical evolution of organic molecules from interstellar space. Cosmochemistry also advances our knowledge of the physical and chemical processes in the distant past that might have had a significant role in the development of life in the universe.

Etymology:

Cosmo = kosmos (latin) + Chemistry = Alchemy (Greek), khēmia (Egyptician)


Sample Sentence:

“The spectral research on sulphur-containing radicals is of great significance in many fields such as atmospheric chemistry, combustion chemistry, cosmochemistry and so on.”


Translations:
  • French: Chimie Cosmique
  • German: Kosmochemie
  • Polish: kosmochemia, chemia kosmiczna
  • Swedish: Kosmokemi

Links to Videos/Articles:



Cosmos

(Last edited: Saturday, 30 September 2023, 5:53 PM)

Image:

 Source: 


Short Definition:

The concept of an organized system with pattern and order in the universe.

Detailed Definition:

The idea of the physical universe as a whole system, one having order and pattern. The understanding of the cosmos has been evolving with new discoveries about the universe. This leads to the definition of cosmology as the history of the study of the cosmos as a whole.

Etymology:

Cosmos comes from the Latin Kosmos, which means order or world.

Sample Sentence(s):

The cosmos may now be represented digitally by scientists.

Scientists are hunting for hints as to how the universe came into being.

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages

French: cosmos

German: Kosmos

Polish: kosmos

Swedish: kosmos

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://www.nationalgeographicla.com/cosmos

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363520256_The_Infinite_Cosmos_Ebo_S


Crater

(Last edited: Friday, 1 September 2023, 12:56 PM)
Dedal crater on the Moon Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moon_Dedal_crater.jpg

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:




CubeSat

(Last edited: Tuesday, 29 August 2023, 5:36 PM)

The European Space Agency. (2022, March). CubeSats orbiting Earth. Retrieved from https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2016/04/cubesats_orbiting_earth/15950521-1-eng-GB/CubeSats_orbiting_Earth_pillars.jpg

The European Space Agency. (2022, March). CubeSats orbiting Earth. Retrieved from https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2016/04/cubesats_orbiting_earth/15950521-1-eng-GB/CubeSats_orbiting_Earth_pillars.jpg

Short definition:

CubeSat (Cube Satellite) is a spacecraft that is meant to be a planet's artificial satellite and is designed as a cubic case. The purpose of such case is to carry its payload.

Detailed Definition

CubeSat is a nanosatellite. It is built as a cube with standard dimension, length of each side is a multiple of 10cm or 1U. They can contain arbitrary payload, usually scientific equipment such as small cameras. Their usual weight is about 1.3 kilograms, what makes them relatively cheap to launch and hence widely accessible. Their accessibility allows smaller players in space industry such as companies and even universities to deploy their space exploration tools into space.

Etymology

Cube SatelliteCube – from Latin cubusSatellite – from Latin satellitem– an attendant

Sample Sentences

"These CubeSats are flown as auxiliary payloads on previously planned missions."NASA. (2018, February). CubeSats Overview. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cubesats/overview

Translations in our Alliance languages:

French: CubeSat
German: CubeSat
Italian: CubeSat
Polish: CubeSat
Swedish: CubeSat

Translations in other languages:
Russian: КубСат

References

The European Space Agency. (2022, March). CubeSats. Retrieved from https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Preparing_for_the_Future/Discovery_and_Preparation/CubeSats

Cal Poly SLO. (2014, February). CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13. Retrieved from https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5418c831e4b0fa4ecac1bacd/t/56e9b62337013b6c063a655a/1458157095454/cds_rev13_final2.pdf




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