UNIVERSEH: The European Space University

Source: https://www.esa.int/Education/Fly_Your_Thesis/Parabolic_manoeuvres

Definition:

Flight manoeuvre in which the aircraft alternatingly ascends and descends to achieve weightlessness or to simulate reduced gravity.

Parabolic flights are performed to train astronauts in zero-g manoeuvres, giving them about 25 seconds of weightlessness out of 65 seconds of flight in each parabola. During such training, the airplane typically flies about 40–60 parabolic manoeuvres. 

Initially, the aircraft climbs with a pitch angle of around 45 degrees, the sensation of weightlessness is achieved by reducing thrust and lowering the nose such that the aircraft follows a ballistic trajectory. Weightlessness begins while ascending and lasts all the way "up-and-over the hump", until the craft reaches a downward pitch angle of around 40 degrees.

Etymology:

from Ancient Greek παραβολικός /parabolikós/ “of or pertaining to a parable”

Translations:

• English: parabolic flight (neutr.) – [ˌpær əˈbɒl ɪk flaɪt]
  
• French: vol parabolique (m) - [vɔl  paʁabɔˈliːk]
  
• German: Parabelflug () - [paˈʁaːbl̩ˌfluːk]
  
• Polish: Lot paraboliczny () – []
  
• Portuguese: voo parabólico (m) - []
  
• Russian: параболический полёт (m) - [pɐrɐbəˈlit͡ɕɪskʲɪj pɐˈlʲɵt]
  
• Swedish: Parabolisk flygning () - []
  

Media

Insight Observatory (n.d.). Star Parallax.

Definitions

Short Definition
Parallax is an angular apparent shift in an object’s position when it is observed from two separate viewpoints. Half the angle between two lines of sight is the magnitude of parallax.

Detailed Definition
The principle of parallax is widely used to measure large distances, i.e. to far away stars and planets. The Stellar parallax method allows one to obtain measurements from trigonometric parallax. Observations of the celestial body are taken from two opposite points of the Earth’s orbit (with a 6-month gap), the apparent movement of the object is considered with respect to its distant background. An isosceles triangle with the base of 2 astronomical units is then formed by the lines of sight. The distance to the object is equal to 1 AU over the parallax angle measured.

Etymology
From Ancient Greek παράλλαξις (parállaxis)“alteration”

Sample Sentences

Eyes of live creatures with binocular sight, humans included, exploit parallax to perceive depth and measure distances.

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages

Additional Translations of Terms/Concepts into Other Languages

Russian
параллакс

Ukrainian
паралакс

Links to Videos/Articles:

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parsek_pl.png

Short Definition:

The parsec (symbol: pc) is a unit of length used to measure the large distances to astronomical objects outside the Solar System. Parsec is approximately equal to 3.26 light-years or 206,000 astronomical units (symbol: AU), or 30.9 trillion kilometers. As an example, the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, is about 1.3 parsecs from the Sun. Most stars visible to the naked eye are within a few hundred parsecs of the Sun, with the most distant at a few thousand.

Detailed Definition:

A Parsec is the distance for which the annual parallax of the position of the Earth, viewed perpendicular to the plane of the orbit, is 1 arc second (arcsec). A parsec can equally be described as the distance from which half of the Earth's orbital major axis (equal to 1 AU) is visible as an arc of 1 arcsecond. Although distance equal to one parsec is tremendous still, multiples of parsecs are required for the larger scales in the universe, including kiloparsecs (kpc) for the more distant objects within and around the Milky Way, megaparsecs (Mpc) for mid-distance galaxies, and gigaparsecs (Gpc) for many quasars and the most distant galaxies. The term parsec is a combination of "parallax" and "arcsecond," which derives from the use of triangulation when measuring the distance between two stars. 

Etymology:

Combination of words parallax and arcsecond
Paralax - from Ancient Greek parállaxis, (“alteration”)
Second -  from Latin secundus (“following, next in order”)

Sample Sentence(s):

"Distance to the nearest star is about 1.3 parsecs."
"Sci-fi franchises have been known to misuse the word parsec, mistakenly describing it as a measurement of time or speed."

Translations:

French: 

Parsec

German:

Parsec

Polish:

Parsek

Swedish:

Parsec

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://earthsky.org/space/what-is-a-parsec/

Diagram of a body's direct orbit around the Sun, with its nearest (perihelion) and farthest (aphelion) points. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apsis#/media/File:Perihelion-Aphelion.svg

Short Definition:

Perihelion is the farthest point in the orbit of a planetary body about the Sun. This point is present in every Solar System orbiting body orbit due to the fact all orbits are elliptical. 

Detailed Definition:

Perihelion is the farthest point in the orbit of a planetary body about the Sun in the Solar System. In case of describing generic star orbiting system, such point is called an apsis as the farthest point in the orbit of a planetary body about its primary body. For bodies moving around the Sun in a stable elliptical orbit, the perihelion is crossed at regular intervals, every orbital period. At perihelion, the Earth is 147.1 million km (0.9833 au) from the Sun. This usually takes place between 2nd and 4th January and occurs at a slightly different time each year due to interference from other celestial bodies.

Etymology:

From Proto-Indo-European *per- (“before, in front; first”) + ἥλιος (hḗlios, “sun”) +‎ -on (suffix forming nouns) (from Ancient Greek -ον (-on))

Sample Sentence(s):

"If the comet's perihelion (its closest point to the sun) coincides with the shower's peak, a rare meteor storm can occur, creating thousands of meteor showers per hour."

- Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 4 Oct. 2022

"Earth makes its closest past on Jan. 4, which is called perihelion."

- Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, 4 July 2022

Translations:

French: 

Périhélie

German:

Perihel 

Polish:

Peryhelium

Swedish:

Perihelium

Links to Videos/Articles:

Source: Sutton, B. (2015, August 19). Perseid Meteor Shower over the Ocotillo Patch; 8/12/15. flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/115357548@N08/20713070995

Definition:

A meteor shower that recurs annually between the July 17th, and August 24th, with a peak of shooting stars in the days around August 12th.

They have a high velocity (60 km/s) and, as so-called fireballs, can even reach the brightness of Venus. The radiant, apparent origin of this shower, lies in the eponymous constellation Perseus, near its border with Cassiopeia.

Etymology:

from Greek Περσείδαι “Perseidai”, the sons of Perseus in Greek mythology

Translations:

• English: Perseids – [ˈpɝ.si.ɪds]
  
• French: Perséides – []
  
• German: Perseiden – []
  
• Polish: Deszcz Perseidów – []
  
• Russian: Персеиды – []
  
• Swedish: Perseiderna – []

Links to Videos/Articles:

Perseid meteor shower on NASA TV 2015 (4 hours)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIvVLyltJe8

Definition:

Etymology:

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

Translations:

• English: Phobos    [ˈfoʊbɒs]
  
• French: Phobos    []
  
• German: Phobos (m)    []
  
• Polish: Fobos
  
• Russian: Фобос (m)    [ˈfobəs]
  
• Swedish:
  

Source: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2018/04/Photometer

Short Definition:

A photometer is an instrument used to measure the strength of electromagnetic radiation. It is the primary tool used in the field of photometry, a field that focuses on the study of the emitted intensity of the electromagnetic radiation of an astronomical body.

Detailed Definition:

One of the devices used in the research electromagnetic radiation is the photometer. The most crucial component of the photometer is a photoresistor, photodiode, or photomultiplier, varying on the type of the photometer, which is responsible for the conversion of light into electric current. Among others, photometers most commonly measure illuminance, irradiance, light absorption, fluorescence, and luminescence. Most of the photometers measure light by the incoming flux, however, photon counting is also a viable technique. Light detection occurs after the light passes through a filter, which then distinguishes the respective wavelengths. Photometers are used in many medical, laboratory and industrial applications. Uses include the identification and quantification of chemical components, pharmaceutical quality control and astronomical calculations.

Etymology:

"photo-" - Greek, combining form of phōs (genitive phōtos) - word-forming element meaning "light"

"-meter" - French -mètre, Greek metron - word-forming element meaning "a measure"

Sample Sentence(s):

"Photometers are used to gather data for improved lunar calibration of Earth-observing instruments."

"A photometer is often used in conjunction with a telescope."

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages

French: Photomètre

German: Fotometer

Polish: Fotometr

Swedish: Fotometer

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://planetfacts.org/photometer/

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-photometry-definition-process-uses.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95_yDQ9tAfs

Short Definition

The Pillars of Creation are a part of the Eagle Nebula that is located in constellation Serpens. They became popular when Hubble Telescope took first picture of them in 1995. The Pillars of Creation since then were revisited by various telescopes on multiple occasions throughout the years.

Detailed Definition
The Pillars of Creation are located 6,500 light years away from Earth and are part of a much bigger formation called Eagle Nebula. The pillars are only between 4 and 5 light years long, meanwhile the nebula they are located in stretches 70 to 55 light years long. Even though the nebula was discovered as early as 1745 by Jean-Philippe Loys de Chéseaux, the towers were captured first in 1995 by Hubble Telescope. The Pillars of Creation were photographed later on multiple occasions by different telescopes. Most recently, it was observed by the James Webb Telescope, giving us the first picture of them in infrared light.
The pillars became well known due to their distinguish features. The towers resemble buttes in the desert, which gives them a unique look that feels familiar to what we already know from the Earth’s scenery. Essentially, they are made out of dens hydrogen particles and gas. In the pictures of pillars, we can also see newborn stars that caste ultraviolet light.

Etymology
The name “Pillars of Creation” was inspired by a phrase used in “The Condescension of Christ” written by Charles Spurgeon in 1857.

Sample Sentence(s)

In Pillars of Creation, we can see new stars being formed.

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages

French
Piliers de la création

German
Säulen der Schöpfung

Italian
Pilastri della Creazione

Polish
Filary Stworzenia

Swedish
Skapelsens pelare

Links to Videos/Articles:

• NASA, ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (2018), The Pillars of Creation, Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/the-pillars-of-creation

• Prakash, P. (2022), All about the Pillars of Creation, recently captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/all-about-the-pillars-of-creation-recently-pictured-by-the-james-webb-space-telescope/article66040094.ece

• Hubblesite (n.d.), Eagle Nabula ‘Pillars of Creation’, Retrieved from https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/3862-Image?keyword=eagle

• NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI (2022), Pillars of Creation (NIRCam and MIRI Composite Image), Retrieved from https://esawebb.org/images/pillarsofcreation_composite/

• ESA (2022), Hubble and Webb showcase the Pillars of Creation (side by side), Retrieved from https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2022/10/Hubble_and_Webb_showcase_the_Pillars_of_Creation_side_by_side

Source: Starkiteckt (2016, June 30). Icy Planet. flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/141051222@N04/27966261236

Definition:

A large round celestial body orbiting around a star.

Etymology

From the Greek word “πλανήτης” (“wanderer”).

Translations:

• English: planet    ['plænət] 
  
• French: planète (fem.)    [pla'nɛt]
  
• German:
  
• Polish: planeta
  
• Russian: планета (fem.)    [plɐˈnʲetə]
  
• Swedish:
  

Term/Concept: 

Planet Mars

Image/Video/Audio:

Image/Video/Audio Source:

Short Definition:

Detailed Definition:

Etymology:

Sample Sentence(s):

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: 

German:

Polish:

Swedish:

Links to Videos/Articles:

Short definition:  Planetary geology is a science discipline that focuses on the geology of solid-surface celestial bodies, such as planets and their moons, asteroids and meteorites. It is also known as space geology, astrogeology or exogeology.

Detailed definition: Planetary geology is a relatively new discipline, having appeared in the 1960s. Some topics that planetary geology is concerned with are: studying and analysing the composition of celestial bodies to better understand their origins and history; determining the properties and processes in the internal structure of astronomical objects, such as their volcanism, impact craters and fluvial processes; classifying exoplanets based on their geology and composition. Planetary geology is closely linked with the Earth’s geology, and many planetary geology studies are conducted by comparing the geology of the celestial body with the Earth’s geology. One of the main aims of these studies is trying to figure out whether other planets are capable of supporting life.

Etymology: Even though the prefix -geo comes from Ancient Greek γῆ (gê, “earth”) and is mostly associated with topics related to the Earth, planetary geology is named as such for historical and convenience reasons.

Sample sentence(s): Planetary geology researchers at Harvard contribute to robotic space missions to other planets.

Translations:

French: Géologie planétaire

German: Astrogeologie

Italian: Esogeologia

Polish: Geologia planetarna

Swedish: Astrogeologi

Links to Videos/Articles:

Byrne, P. K. (2021). Planetary Geology. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 37–51). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-102908-4.00125-9

Source: Midjourney (2023, May 25). AI illustration of point nemo. Midjourney. midjourney Space junkyard... Tags: space junkyard Keyword(s): Space Junkyard Probe (Last edited: Monday, 24 July 2023, 3:44 PM) Source: Todd, G. (October 2013). Mariner Space Probe. flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/101561334@N08/10437025414

Space junkyard...