gegenschein

[ gey-guhn-shahyn ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Astronomy.

a faint, elliptical patch of light in the night sky that appears opposite the sun, being a reflection of sunlight by meteoric material in space.

gegenschein

/ ˈɡeɪɡənˌʃaɪn /

a faint glow in the sky, just visible at a position opposite to that of the sun and having a similar origin to zodiacal light Also calledcounterglow

First recorded in 1875–80, gegenschein is from the German word Gegenschein counterglow

German, from gegen against, opposite + Schein light; see shine

He must moreover sign with his own hand the so-called «Gegenschein» (Counter-certificate) to be found in the deposit book.

Barnard finds that the Gegenschein is not so faint as is generally supposed.

The Gegenschein is an extremely elusive phenomenon, suitable only for eyes that have been specially trained to see it.

M. Quénisset notes that—as in the case of the Zodiacal Light—the southern border of the Gegenschein is sharper than the northern.

These are known respectively as the Zodiacal Light and the Gegenschein.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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