COSMIC LEXICON

What is a syzygy? Impress your friends with these astronomical terms

Credit: Guillermo Ferla

Have you ever dreamed of traveling to space? Just imagine the variety of peculiar objects, scenarios, and environments awaiting there, some of them being completely unimaginable here on Earth.

While we are all familiar with stars, planets, moons, comets, and eclipses, there is a fascinating lexicon of lesser-known astronomical terms you have probably never heard of. Today we'll unveil 10 of these terms, each of which names amazing phenomena that will leave you speechless!

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Isn't it amazing to look up and see the beautiful stars that light up our night sky? But wait, because you haven't heard of magnetars yet!

A magnetar is a star, but not just any star. It's a type of neutron star born from the remnants of a huge supernova explosion. A magnetar differs from other celestial bodies due to its exceptionally potent magnetic field beating that of Earth by trillions of times. This immense magnetic capacity enables it to emit electromagnetic radiation, including X-rays and gamma rays, and also initiate intense seismic events known as starquakes.

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Yes, this word might sound like a delicacy from French cuisine or the name of a precious gem, but that is not what's going on here.

Short for "quasi-stellar radio source," a quasar is an incredibly luminous and energetic object that stands out at the center of some galaxies, powered by huge black holes. With its intense energy and luminosity, a quasar becomes a cosmic force that emits stunning amounts of electromagnetic radiation.

Nowadays, quasars are observed in distant parts of the universe, far away from Earth, offering scientists precious data about black holes and the early stages of galaxy formation.

Credit: Doug Walters

Are you a winter or a summer person? Well, regardless of your preference, Absolute Zero would freeze the bravest of winter lovers.

Absolute Zero represents the theoretical lowest possible temperature. This concept plays a crucial role in understanding the behavior of matter in extreme environments, such as those of outer space.

So, do you want to know what the coldest possible temperature is? It is an incredible -460 degrees Fahrenheit (or -273.15 degrees Celsius), also called 0 Kelvin, which results in particles reaching a state of minimal motion. You can be sure that weird things happen at such temperatures!

Credit: NASA

While it may look like we accidentally dropped something on the keyboard, that is not the case. "Syzygy" is a real astronomical term that refers to the phenomenon of alignment of 3 celestial bodies.

It might not sound like the kind of word you'd expect to hear from a scientist, but this funny term is often used to describe the alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun. When these three align perfectly in a straight line, astronomers describe them as being "in syzygy."

If you stay updated on this month's astronomical events, you might "casually" drop this word into conversation with friends!

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You may be familiar with meteorites, but have you ever heard of achondrites?

Achondrites are the lesser-known members of the meteorite family, distinguished by a specific characteristic: the absence of chondrules, which are small spherical grains found in other types of meteorites, a feature that makes them special and rare.

Achondrites are thought to originate from celestial bodies like planets or moons. Therefore, they could contain key information about those 'parent' celestial bodies and the events that shaped them.

Credit: NASA

As you probably already know, Earth's orbit around the Sun isn't perfectly circular. At certain points, we are closer to the radiant star, while at others, we travel to more distant places. The term "aphelion" denotes the specific moment of a celestial body's orbit at which it reaches its greatest distance from the Sun.

Want to know how far away from our beloved Sun we can be? When Earth reaches its aphelion, something typically occurring in July, it's positioned an average of 94,506,364 miles from the Sun, although this distance may fluctuate due to various factors. In any case, don't forget to wear sunscreen!

Credit: Melissa van Niekerk

Of course, celestial bodies' orbits not only have a point farthest from the Sun but also a point closest to it. The "perihelion" marks the opposite of the aphelion. That means it's the point where a celestial body is nearest to the Sun.

When Earth is at its perihelion, it is approximately 91,404,095 miles from the Sun, which occurs in the month of January. While it might not appear significant at first glance, the variance in Earth's distance from the Sun between aphelion and perihelion is around 3 million miles! You know, in the expanse of space, distances aren't exactly just around the corner.

Credit: NASA

We have already identified the farthest and closest points to the Sun, so why not find the average? That's precisely what's been done, resulting in a measurement known as the Astronomical Unit.

So, the Astronomical Unit represents the average distance between the centers of Earth and the Sun, translating to about 92,955,807 miles.

Now, let's do some math (don't worry if numbers aren't your thing, we've got it covered). Based on the provided information, when Earth is at its perihelion, it's approximately 0.983 Astronomical Units (AU) from the Sun. In comparison, at aphelion, it's about 1.017 AU from the yellow dwarf.

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Have you had the chance to take a look at NASA's photos of the Sun? Of course, these images have the power to astonish anyone as they show the glorious beauty of our nearest star. But if you take a closer look at those pictures, you'll notice lighter and brighter spots present in the photosphere (the visible "surface" of the Sun, a layer about 250 miles thick). Each one of these marks is called a facula.

In addition to their luminosity, these spots shine with intense heat, quite warmer than the surrounding areas, and they are found in regions with extremely powerful magnetic fields.

Credit: NASA

As you can infer from the end of the word, planetoids are celestial bodies that orbit the Sun, similar to planets but smaller. We can think of them as the little babies in the cosmic family.

That's right, it's another name for minor planets or dwarf planets, such as the well-known Ceres and Pluto. And don't forget, asteroids are part of this category, too.

Planetoids differ from planets in several key aspects: they have a less structured composition and also have more irregular orbits. In addition, because of their smaller size (which can vary from just a few yards to several hundred miles in diameter), planetoids also possess less gravitational pull.

LEXICON LEGACY

10 English Words You Didn't Know Come From Native American Languages

Credit: David Trinks

Ever paused a conversation to think about where our words come from? It's not something most people do, right? However, some of the words we use every day have origins that might surprise you. English has terms and expressions with varied germs, with roots from far-off places like Japan! But there are others that originated here in the Americas, like "hurricane," "chocolate," and "raccoon," which all hail from Native American languages.

If you want to know more about the stories behind these terms, join us as we uncover the fascinating origins and meanings of 10 English words rooted in Native American languages!

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You are probably familiar with a charming animal known as the Virginia opossum. This unique creature holds the title of being the only marsupial species native to North America, and it was the Powhatan people, early inhabitants of Virginia's Tidewater region, who gave this particular animal its name.

Our word "opossum" comes from the Algonquian Powhatan term apässum****. But what does apässum mean? Well, it simply **translates to "white animal,"**describing some of the color shades of this cute little beast.

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Who can resist the temptation of a delicious piece of chocolate? Definitely not us! This treat is still the star in confectionery and pastry shops, but did you know its history goes back many centuries?

In fact, we thank the ancient Mesoamericans —Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs— not just for the tasty chocolate itself, but also for giving us the word we use to name it.

In Nahuatl, the Aztec language, xocolātl (translated to "bitter water") referred to the bitter drink they made from the chocolate plant. When the Spanish arrived, they embraced both the delicious product and its name. The Nahuatl word "xocolātl" evolved into the Spanish chocolate, which soon spread across Europe. The name then took on similar forms in various languages, including English (chocolate), German (schokolade), French (chocolat), and Italian (cioccolato).

Credit: Eric Lagergren

Have you ever put your feet into a good pair of moccasins? Even if you haven't, we are sure you are familiar with this type of shoes. Whether you wear them indoors as slippers or outdoors as stylish casual footwear, we have Native Americans to thank for these practical shoes.

It was the Powhatan people who gave these shoes their name, using the word makasin, which eventually transformed into the English term "moccasin." Back in the 17th century and earlier, this word specifically described a type of footwear typically made from soft deerskin, with a sole made from a single piece of leather.

Credit: Marco Oriolesi

This is another word that reflects the flexible and adaptive nature of language. Although its origin is debated, one theory suggests that "caucus" might come from the Algonquian word caucauasu, which means "counselor" or "advisor."

The word as we know it today first appeared in English in the mid-18th century. In fact, one of its earliest known uses comes from the writings of none other than John Adams in 1763, when he used it to describe a meeting of political party members.

Credit: Gary Bendig

The opossum isn't the only creature named by Native Americans. Just like many other animals living near Indigenous communities, the raccoon also owes its name to the Powhatan people.

The original Powhatan word for raccoon is aroughcun or arathkone. It can be translated to "the one that scratches with hands," describing one of the typical behaviors of raccoons.

European settlers adapted the word into English in the 17th century, with early spellings varying from "aroughcun" to "raugroughcun" and "rarowcun" before finally settling on "raccoon."

Credit: Alexey Demidov

Did you know that the English word "hurricane" is actually an adaptation of a Spanish term? But wait, there's more! The Spanish word itself comes from a Taino expression.

The Tainos were an Indigenous group from the Caribbean that had their own word for the powerful storms that hit the area: juracán, which also was the name for the god of chaos.

When the Spanish arrived in the Americas and had to face these fierce Caribbean storms, they borrowed the Taino term, which became the Spanish huracán.

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Something similar happened with the word "cigar." This time, it was the Mayans who first named this product, calling it sikar, which translates to "to smoke rolled tobacco leaves." Pretty specific, right? While the Mayan word originally referred to the act of smoking tobacco, the Spanish later adopted it, transforming it into cigarro to describe the rolled tobacco leaves many people smoke.

Subsequently, both the word and the product gained huge popularity in America and Europe. The term was adapted into various languages, resulting in language-specific versions such as "cigar" in English, cigare in French, and Zigarre in German.

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The Abenakis, who lived in regions now known as the northeastern United States and parts of eastern Canada like Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Quebec, had this word in their language: seganku.

Want to know what this term means? Well, s_eganku_ can be translated as "the one that emits a smell," and it was sometimes interpreted as "the urinating fox"! It sounds like the title of a fun children's tale, right? But that's the fitting name the Abenaki people gave to the skunk.

It was this word that the English borrowed and adapted. It first appeared in English in the early 17th century with spellings like "squuncke" and "skuncke" before finally settling on the "skunk" we know today.

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**Pawcohiccora**is the beautiful word used by the Native American Powhatan people to call a type of food made from hickory nuts. The Powhatan would gather these nuts, chop them, and extract their oil to create delicious pastes or drinks.

Some hypotheses claim that when European settlers arrived in North America, they adopted this word, which was later shortened and adapted into English as "hickory," as seen in some 17th-century texts. Over time, the meaning broadened and came to refer to the hickory tree itself, native to North America.

Credit: Cameron Stow

The anorak, that trendy and cool garment worn by people of all ages today, has a history that's older than you might think!

The Inuit are indigenous peoples who primarily inhabit the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, Alaska, and even some parts of Russia. Among the words that make up the rich Inuit vocabulary is anoraq, which refers to a type of clothing usually made from caribou or seal skin.

The English took the word and gave it a twist to transform it into "anorak," describing that comfy type of jacket that keeps us cozy and dry, just like the Inuit's anoraq!