Solar system

Solar system
Solar So"lar, a. [L. solaris, fr. sol the sun; akin to As. s[=o]l, Icel. s[=o]l, Goth. sauil, Lith. saule, W. haul,. sul, Skr. svar, perhaps to E. sun:F. solaire. Cf. {Parasol}. {Sun}.] 1. Of or pertaining to the sun; proceeding from the sun; as, the solar system; solar light; solar rays; solar influence. See {Solar system}, below. [1913 Webster]

2. (Astrol.) Born under the predominant influence of the sun. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

And proud beside, as solar people are. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

3. Measured by the progress or revolution of the sun in the ecliptic; as, the solar year. [1913 Webster]

4. Produced by the action of the sun, or peculiarly affected by its influence. [1913 Webster]

They denominate some herbs solar, and some lunar. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

{Solar cycle}. See under {Cycle}.

{Solar day}. See {Day}, 2.

{Solar engine}, an engine in which the energy of solar heat is used to produce motion, as in evaporating water for a steam engine, or expanding air for an air engine.

{Solar flowers} (Bot.), flowers which open and shut daily at certain hours.

{Solar lamp}, an argand lamp.

{Solar microscope}, a microscope consisting essentially, first, of a mirror for reflecting a beam of sunlight through the tube, which sometimes is fixed in a window shutter; secondly, of a condenser, or large lens, for converging the beam upon the object; and, thirdly, of a small lens, or magnifier, for throwing an enlarged image of the object at its focus upon a screen in a dark room or in a darkened box. [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster]

{Solar month}. See under {Month}.

{Solar oil}, a paraffin oil used an illuminant and lubricant.

{Solar phosphori} (Physics), certain substances, as the diamond, siulphide of barium (Bolognese or Bologna phosphorus), calcium sulphide, etc., which become phosphorescent, and shine in the dark, after exposure to sunlight or other intense light.

{Solar plexus} (Anat.), a nervous plexus situated in the dorsal and anterior part of the abdomen, consisting of several sympathetic ganglia with connecting and radiating nerve fibers; -- so called in allusion to the radiating nerve fibers.

{Solar spots}. See {Sun spots}, under {Sun}.

{Solar system} (Astron.), the sun, with the group of celestial bodies which, held by its attraction, revolve round it. The system comprises the major planets, with their satellites; the minor planets, or asteroids, and the comets; also, the meteorids, the matter that furnishes the zodiacal light, and the rings of Saturn. The satellites that revolve about the major planets are twenty-two in number, of which the Earth has one (see {Moon}.), Mars two, Jupiter five, Saturn nine, Uranus four, and Neptune one. The asteroids, between Mars and Jupiter, thus far discovered (1900), number about five hundred, the first four of which were found near the beginning of the century, and are called Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta. [1913 Webster]

Note: The principal elements of the major planets, and of the comets seen at more than one perihelion passage, are exhibited in the following tables: [1913 Webster] I. -- Major Planets. Symbol.Name.Mean distance -- that of the Earth being unity.Period in days.Eccentricity.Inclination of orbit.Diameter in miles ????????????????????? [1913 Webster] II. -- Periodic Comets. Name.Greatest distance from sun.Least distance from sun.Inclination of orbit.Perihelion passage. [deg] [min] 54 Encke's3.314.100.34212 541885.2 ????????????????????? [1913 Webster]

{Solar telegraph}, telegraph for signaling by flashes of reflected sunlight.

{Solar time}. See {Apparent time}, under {Time}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • solar system — solar ,system noun count usually singular * a star and the planets that go around it, especially the Sun and the group of planets that includes the Earth: the outer limits of our solar system the search for planets in other solar systems …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • solar system — solar systems N COUNT: usu sing, oft the N, poss N The solar system is the sun and all the planets that go round it. Saturn is the second biggest planet in the solar system …   English dictionary

  • solar system — solar .system n 1.) the solar system the Sun and the ↑planets that go around it 2.) this kind of system around another star …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • solar system — ► NOUN ▪ the sun together with the planets, asteroids, comets, etc. in orbit around it …   English terms dictionary

  • solar system — n. 1. that portion of our galaxy which is subject to the gravity of the sun 2. all the matter within this portion, including interplanetary dust or gas; esp., the sun itself and its planets …   English World dictionary

  • Solar System — This article is about the Sun and its planetary system. For other systems, see planetary system and star system. For a list of physical and orbital statistics for the Solar System s largest bodies, see List of gravitationally rounded objects of… …   Wikipedia

  • solar system — the sun together with all the planets and other bodies that revolve around it. [1695 1705] * * * The Sun, its planets, and the small bodies (see asteroid, Centaur object, comet, Kuiper belt, meteorite, and Oort cloud) interplanetary dust and gas… …   Universalium

  • solar system */ — UK / US noun [countable, usually singular] Word forms solar system : singular solar system plural solar systems astronomy a star and the planets that go round it, especially the Sun and the group of planets that includes the Earth the outer… …   English dictionary

  • solar system — noun 1 the solar system the sun and the planets that go around it 2 (C) this kind of system around another star …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • solar system — Saulės sistema statusas T sritis fizika atitikmenys: angl. solar system vok. Sonnensystem, n rus. солнечная система, f pranc. système solaire, m …   Fizikos terminų žodynas

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”