aphelion
Use Aphelion in a sentence
li noun, plural a·phe·li·a [uh-fee-lee-uh, uh-feel-yuh, ap-hee-lee-uh] .
[uh-fee-lee-uh, uh-feel-yuh, ap-hee-lee-uh] . Astronomy. the point in the orbit of a planet or a comet at which it is farthest from the sun.
Compare perihelion.
Origin:
1650–60; Hellenized form of Neo-Latin aphēlium < Greek *aphḗlion (diástēma) off-sun (distance), neuter of *aphḗlios (adj.), equivalent to ap- ap-2 + hḗli(os) sun + -os adj. suffix. See apogee
1650–60; Hellenized form of Neo-Latin aphēlium < Greek *aphḗlion (diástēma) off-sun (distance), neuter of *aphḗlios (adj.), equivalent to ap- ap-2 + hḗli(os) sun + -os adj. suffix. See apogee
Related forms
a·phe·li·an, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To aphelion
00:10
Aphelion
is always a great word to know.
So is Polaris. Does it mean:
| the polestar or North Star, a star of the second magnitude close to the north pole of the heavens, in the constellation Ursa Minor |
| the gaseous envelope surrounding a heavenly body |
Collins
World English Dictionary
aphelion (æpˈhiːlɪən, əˈfiː-) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -lia | |
| Compare perihelion the point in its orbit when a planet or comet is at its greatest distance from the sun | |
| [C17: from New Latin aphēlium (with pseudo-Greek ending -ion) from | |
| ap'helian | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
aphelion
"point farthest from the sun" (of a celestial body's orbit), 1670s, from Mod.L. aphelium, the modern form an alteration by Johannes Kepler, based on Gk. apo heliou "away from the sun," from apo "away from" + heliou, gen. of helios "sun" (see sol). The whole was formed on the
model of Ptolemaic apogæum (see apogee) to reflect the new helio-centric model of the universe.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
aphelion (ə-fē'lē-ən) Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) The point at which an orbiting body, such as a planet or comet, is farthest away from the Sun. Compare apogee, perihelion. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
The presence of these was originally inferred by looking at the aphelion of short and long period comets respectively.
What it says is that the neighborhood is what goes from perihelion to aphelion.
Images for aphelion
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