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| aa -- |
A basaltic lava with a rough, jagged surface. |
| achondrite -- |
A stony meteorite, coarsely crystallized, with sizablefragments
of various minerals visible to the naked eye. |
| Adams -- |
John Couch Adams (1819-1892) English astronomer. One of the
discoverers of the planet Neptune. |
| Akna -- |
In Native American traditions from Mexico and from the Arctic,"Moon"
(Wife of the Sun) and "The Mother" (Goddess of Childbirth),respectively. |
| albedo -- |
The ratio of the amount of solar radiation reflected from
anobject to the total amount incident upon it. |
| Alcott -- |
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) American author. |
| altimetry -- |
The measurement of elevation or altitude. |
| anorthosite -- |
A type of igneous rock composed almost entirely of feldspar,a
group of minerals that make up about 60% of the Earth's crust. |
| antipodal point -- |
The opposite point with respect to any given point. |
| Aphrodite -- |
One of the twelve Greek Olympian gods. Goddess of Love (Romanname,
Venus), daughter of Zeus and Dione . |
| Apollo -- |
In Greek mythology, one of the twelve Olympian gods. God
of prophecy, healing, archery, music, youth, plastic arts, science
and philosophy. |
| arachnoid -- |
Spider or cobweblike feature on the surface of Venus, typically
having a diameter of about 100-km and a central volcanic structure
surrounded by a complex network of lineaments. |
| arcuate -- |
Curved or bent. |
| Ariel -- |
In Alexander Pope's poem "The Rape of the Lock",
a spirit of the air, chief of the sylphs. |
| asteroid -- |
One of many small rocky bodies orbiting the Sun; a concentration
of these bodies makes up the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. |
| Atla -- |
In Norse mythology, a giantess, mother of Heimdall. |
| Atlas -- |
In Greek mythology, brother of Prometheus and grandfather
of Hermes(Mercury). Condemned to stand forever supporting the
heavens on hisshoulders. The Atlantic Ocean is named for him. |
| Ba'het -- |
In Egyptian mythology, goddess of wealth and abundance. |
| Balch -- |
Emily Balch (1867-1961) American economist, Nobel Laureate. |
| Barton -- |
Clara Barton (1821-1912) Founder of American Red Cross. |
| basalt -- |
Fine-grained igneous rock (rich in mafic minerals) that has
erupted onto the surface. |
| basin -- |
A depressed area with no surface outlet. |
| bedrock -- |
Continuous solid rock that underlies regolith and is exposed
atoutcrops. |
| breccia -- |
Coarse-grained rock composed of angular fragments of pre-existingrock. |
| caldera -- |
A large volcanic depression at the summit of a volcano, caused
bycollapse or explosion. |
| Callisto -- |
In Greek mythology, a nymph, follower of Artemis. Zeus wanted
towoo her, and so disguised himself as Artemis and seduced her.
To hide her from his jealous wife Hera, Zeus changed Callisto
into a bear. |
| Candor -- |
Candor Chasma - from the Latin candor, meaning "blaze"
or "thewhite" from its appearance. |
| Carson -- |
Rachel Carson (1907-1964) American biologist and author. |
| Cassini -- |
Gian Domenico Cassini (1625-1712) Astronomer born in Italy,
later a naturalized French citizen. Discovered four of Saturn's
satellites, observed a dark division in Saturn's ring (the Cassini
Division). |
| Centaur -- |
In Greek mythology, a being with the head, arms, and torso
of a man, and the body and legs of a horse. The personification
of wisdom andbeastliness: the two natures of humankind. |
| Cerberus -- |
In Greek mythology, the three-headed dog that guards the
entrance to the underworld. |
| Charon -- |
In Greek mythology, ferryman of the River Styx, who carried
the dead to the underworld. Each dead person was buried with
a coin in his mouthor on his eyelids to pay for the crossing. |
| chasma -- |
A large canyon. |
| chondrite -- |
A stony meteorite, composed of finely crystallized material. |
| coma -- |
A roughly spherical region of diffuse gas which surrounds
the nucleus of a comet. Together, the coma and the nucleus form
the comet's head. |
| comet -- |
A small celestial body composed at least partially of ices.
Comets either orbit the Sun or pass through the Solar System
on hyperbolic orbital paths . |
| Cordelia -- |
In William Shakespeare's King Lear, the youngest daughter
of the king. |
| corona -- |
A circular to elongate feature which is surrounded by multiple
concentric ridges. Coronae are thought to be formed by hot spots. |
| crater -- |
An approximately circular depression, sometimes surrounded
by a raised rim. Craters are typically formed by explosion during
meteorite impact. |
| crust -- |
The outermost layer of the lithosphere. |
| cuspate -- |
Shaped like a cusp; a sharp projection of material. |
| Dactyl -- |
In Greek mythology, a legendary being that lived on Mount
Ida. |
| Danu -- |
The greatest of the goddesses of ancient Ireland. |
| Deimos -- |
In Greek mythology, a son of Ares (Mars) who, with brother
Phobos, was a constant companion to his father. |
| Derceto -- |
Philistine fertility goddess. |
| Dione -- |
In Greek mythology, the mother of Aphrodite, and daughter
of Zeus. |
| drift -- |
A general term for all rock debris transported from one place
and deposited in another, and distinguished from solid bedrock. |
| Eistla -- |
In Norse mythology, a giantess. |
| ejecta -- |
Material thrown out of a volcano or impact crater. |
| Enceladus -- |
In Greek and Roman mythology, a giant, son of Titan and Gaea.
Buried by an angry Zeus under Mount Etna. When the giant hisses
and thrusts out his fiery tongue, Mount Etna erupts. |
| Encke -- |
Johann Franz Encke (1791-1865) German astronomer at the Seeberg
Observatory, Switzerland. Determined period of the comet discovered
by Pons and showed it to be identical with comets of other years. |
| escarpment -- |
A long, more or less continuous cliff or relatively steep
slope facing in one general direction, produced by erosion or
faulting. |
| Europa -- |
In Greek mythology, a mistress of Zeus to whom he appeared
as a gentle white heifer. Zeus persuaded her to take a ride on
his back, and then he carried her away across the sea. |
| fault -- |
A fracture or zone of fractures in a planet's crust, accompanied
by displacement of the opposing sides. |
| feldspar -- |
A group of rock-forming minerals that make up about 60% of
the Earth's crust. |
| Fortuna -- |
In Roman mythology, goddess of fortune, chance and luck. |
| Galileo -- |
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) Italian mathematician, astronomer,
and physicist. First to use a telescope to observe the skies. |
| Galle -- |
Johann Gottfried Galle (1812-1910) German astronomer who
discovered the crepe ring of Saturn (1838) and was a co-discoverer
of Neptune (1846). |
| Ganymede -- |
In Greek mythology, a beautiful Trojan boy, son of Tros and
Calirrhoe. Befriended by Zeus and made cupbearer to the Olympian
gods. |
| Gaspra -- |
Russian resort and spa near Yalta, Crimea, where Leo Tolstoy
was treated. |
| geomorphology -- |
The study of the external structure, form, and arrangement
of rocks in relation to the development of landforms. |
| geyser -- |
A type of hot spring that intermittently erupts jets of material. |
| Giotto -- |
Giotto di Bondone (1267?-1337) Italian medieval painter,
architect, and sculptor. |
| graben -- |
A long, relatively depressed crustal unit or block that is
bounded by faults along its sides; a trough. |
| Gula -- |
One of the primary goddesses of the Akkadian and Babylonian
peoples. The mother-goddess and great physician, she had the
power to inflict as well as cure disease. |
| Hadley -- |
John Hadley (1682-1744) English mathematician and inventor.
Built first serviceable reflecting telescope and invented an
improved quadrant known as Hadley's quadrant. |
| Halley -- |
Edmond Halley (1656-1742) English astronomer. In 1758, predicted
accurately the return of a comet previously observed in 1531,
1607, 1682. The body was subsequently named Halley's Comet. |
| Hellas -- |
The Greek name for Greece. |
| Herschel -- |
Sir William Herschel (1738-1822). British astronomer. Built
reflecting telescope of superior quality and with it discovered
planet Uranus . Discovered satellites of Uranus and of Saturn. |
| Hestia -- |
In Greek mythology, one of the twelve Olympian gods. Sister
of Zeus and goddess of the hearth and home (Roman name, Vesta). |
| Hubble -- |
Edwin Powell Hubble (1889-1953) American astronomer known
for seminal work in modern cosmology. |
| hummocky -- |
Uneven; describing a terrain abounding in irregular knolls,
mounds, or other small elevations. |
| Humorum -- |
Mare Humorum - Latin for "Sea of Humors" or "Sea
of Moisture". |
| Hyperion -- |
In Greek mythology, a Titan, son of Uranus and Gaea. Husband
of Theia and father of Eos (the Dawn). A handsome wanderer, his
name is said to signify height or superiority. |
| Iapetus -- |
In Greek mythology, a son of Uranus and Gaea. Father of Atlas,
Epimetheus, Menoetius, and Prometheus. |
| Ida -- |
In Greek mythology, the mountain on Crete where Zeus spent
his childhood. |
| igneous rock -- |
Rock solidified from a molten state. |
| Imbrium -- |
Mare Imbrium - Latin for "Sea of Rains". |
| Inverness -- |
In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, the location in Scotland
of Macbeth's castle. |
| Io -- |
In Greek mythology, a young woman seduced by Zeus, who then
transformed her into a heifer to protect her from his jealous
wife. |
| Ishtar -- |
In Babylonian mythology, goddess of love and war. Ruler of
the Moon, as well as the morning and evening stars (alternate
names for the planet Venus). |
| Ithaca -- |
A Greek island, home of Odysseus. |
| Jovian -- |
Of or relating to the planet Jupiter. |
| Jupiter -- |
Planet fifth in order from the sun. In Roman mythology, ruler
of the gods. (Greek name, Zeus). |
| Kennedy -- |
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) 35th president of the United
States. Called on NASA to put an astronaut on the moon within
the decade of the 1960's, a feat that was achieved. Died by assassination
in November, 1963. |
| Kuiper -- |
Gerard Peter Kuiper (1905-1973) American astronomer born
in The Netherlands. Studied the origin of the solar system, and
planetary atmospheres. |
| Lada -- |
A word meaning both "woman" and "goddess"
in the area of Lycia in Asia Minor. |
| Lakshmi -- |
In Indian mythology, the goddess of all forms of wealth.
The reverence for cows in Hindu India is based on worship of
this goddess, as in that tradition cows are a representation
of wealth. |
| Lavinia -- |
In Virgil's Aeneid, a beautiful woman who became the wife
of Aeneus. Personification of earth's fertility. |
| Lee -- |
Robert E. Lee (1807-1870) American Soldier. General in chief
of all Confederate armies during the Civil War. Surrendered to
Federal forces in April, 1865. |
| Leverrier -- |
Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier (1811-1877) French astronomer
who performed the calculations that predicted the existence of
the planet Neptune. |
| limb -- |
The outer edge of a lunar or planetary disk. |
| Lincoln -- |
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Sixteenth president of the United
States. Commander in Chief of Federal forces during the Civil
War. Five days after the war's end Lincoln was shot. He died
the following day. |
| lineament -- |
A linear topographic feature, such as a fault line, aligned
volcanoes, or straight stream course. |
| Loki -- |
In Scandinavian mythology, a mischievous trickster, thief
and slanderer. |
| Magellan -- |
Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) Portuguese navigator whose
ship completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth. |
| magma -- |
Molten rock material (liquids and gases). |
| magnetosphere -- |
a region of a planet's atmosphere that is dominated by the
planet's magnetic field so that charged particles are trapped
in it. |
| mantle -- |
The main bulk of a planet between the crust and the core;
on Earth, the mantle ranges from about 40 to 2,900 kilometers
(25 to 1800 miles) below the surface. |
| mare -- |
A dark, low-lying lunar plain, filled to some depth with
volcanic rocks. |
| Mars -- |
Planet fourth in order from the sun. In Roman mythology,
god of war and discord (Greek name, Ares). |
| massif -- |
A massive topographical feature, commonly formed of rocks
more rigid than those of its surroundings. |
| Mead -- |
Margaret Mead (1901-1978) American anthropologist, author
and lecturer on contemporary social issues. |
| Mercury -- |
The planet closest to the sun. In Roman mythology, the fleet-footed
messenger god and escort of dead souls to the underworld (Greek
name, Hermes). |
| meteorite -- |
A stony or metallic object from interplanetary space that
impacts a planetary surface. |
| Mimas -- |
In Greek mythology, a giant. |
| Miranda -- |
In William Shakespeare's The Tempest, the second daughter
of Prospero the magician. |
| morphology -- |
The study of structure or form. |
| Mylitta -- |
In ancient Phoenicia, a moon goddess who presided over fertility
and childbirth. |
| Navka -- |
Arab mother-goddess. |
| Neptune -- |
Planet eighth in order from the sun. In Roman mythology,
god of the sea (Greek name, Poseidon). |
| nucleus -- |
The frozen core of a comet which contains almost the entire
cometary mass and is located in the comet's head. |
| Oberon -- |
In William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the king
of the fairies. |
| Olympus -- |
In Greek mythology, the mountain that is home to the gods. |
| Onatah -- |
In the mythology of the Native American Seneca and Iroquois
people, a corn or wheat goddess; the daughter of Nokomis. |
| Ophelia -- |
In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the daughter of Polonius
and deserted lover of Hamlet. |
| Ophir -- |
In the Bible, a land to which King Solomon sent a naval expedition.
Considered to be the eastern extremity of the know world. Thought
to be modern Ethiopia, or possibly India. |
| Orientale -- |
Latin for "Eastern". |
| Ovda -- |
In Finnish mythology, a wild, ill-humored spirit who wanders
through the forests looking for trespassers to tickle to death. |
| Oxia -- |
Oxia Palus - from the Latin, an oasis on the Oxus Canal,
which flowed into the Oxianus Lacus (the modern-day Sea of Aral). |
| pahoehoe -- |
A basaltic lava with a smooth, undulating surface. |
| perihelion -- |
The point in the path of a planet, asteroid, comet, or other
body that is closest to the sun. |
| Proteus -- |
In Greek mythology, the son of Poseidon. Personification
of the shifting winds and moods of the sea. |
| Phobos -- |
In Greek mythology, a son of Ares (Mars) who, with brother
Deimos, was a constant companion to his father. |
| plateau -- |
Any comparatively flat area of great extent or elevation. |
| plume -- |
A buoyant mass of hot, partially molten mantle material that
rises to the base of the lithosphere. |
| Pluto -- |
Planet ninth in order, and farthest, from the sun. In Greek
mythology, god of the dead and the underworld. |
| Procellarum -- |
Oceanus Procellarum - from the Latin "Ocean of Storms". |
| Prometheus -- |
A Greek mythological hero who gave humankind fire. |
| regolith -- |
Any solid material lying on top of bedrock, including soil
and rock fragments. |
| relief -- |
The maximum regional difference in elevation. |
| Rhea -- |
In Greek mythology, mother of Zeus and wife of Cronos the
Titan . |
| rift -- |
A valley formed at a divergence zone or other area of extension. |
| rille -- |
One of several trenchlike, or cracklike valleys up to several
hundred km long and 1-2 km wide commonly occurring on the Moon's
surface. |
| Sacajawea -- |
Sacajawea (Bird Woman) (1786?-1812) Native American who accompanied
and guided the Lewis and Clark expedition from the Missouri River
to the Pacific Ocean and back. |
| Sapas -- |
In Phoenician mythology, goddess of commerce and travel,
and messenger of the gods. |
| Saturn -- |
Planet sixth in order from the sun. In Roman mythology, god
of agriculture, and father of Jupiter (Greek name, Cronos). |
| scarp -- |
A cliff or steep slope of some extent that may form a marked
topographic boundary. |
| Schiaparelli -- |
Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli (1835-1910). Italian astronomer
at the Milan Observatory who reported markings on Mars which
he called "canali". |
| Selu -- |
Cherokee corn goddess. |
| shearing -- |
The motion resulting from stresses that cause or tend to
cause contiguous parts of a body to slide relatively to each
other. |
| shield volcano -- |
A broad volcanic cone with gentle slopes constructed of successive
nonviscous, mostly basaltic, lava flows. |
| Sif -- |
In Scandinavian mythology, the grain goddess renowned for
her long golden hair. Mate of the thunder god Thor. |
| SIR-C/X-SAR -- |
Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C and X- Band Synthetic Aperture
Radar. An instrument that performs detailed observations of Earth
at any time, regardless of weather or sunlight conditions. |
| slumping -- |
A landslide that results from the downward sliding of rock
debris as a single mass, usually with a backward rotation relative
to the slope along which the movement takes place. |
| Stickney -- |
Angeline Stickney (1830-1892) The wife of Asaph Hall, known
for her persistent encouragement of her husband as he strove
to and eventually succeeded in the discovery of the satellites
of Mars. |
| stratosphere -- |
An upper portion of a planetary atmosphere, above the troposphere
and below the ionosphere, characterized by relatively uniform
temperature and horizontal winds. |
| tectonic -- |
Relating to the deformation of the crust of a moon or planet,
the forces involved in or producing such deformation, and the
resulting forms. |
| tectonics -- |
Structural deformation, especially folding and faulting. |
| terminator -- |
The line separating the illuminated and unilluminated parts
of a celestial body; the dividing line between day and night
as observed from a distance. |
| terrestrial -- |
Belonging to the class of planets that are similar to the
Earth in density and composition (i.e. Mercury, Venus, and Mars). |
| Tethys -- |
In Greek mythology, a sea goddess. |
| Tharsis -- |
In the Bible, a land at the western extremity of the known
world. Thought to be a region in modern-day Spain. |
| Theia -- |
Pre-Hellenic goddess of light, mother of the dawn. In Greek
mythology, mother of Helios (the Sun) and Eos (the Dawn). |
| Titan -- |
In Greek mythology, Titans were the firstborn children of
Uranus (the sky) and Gaea (the Earth). The ruler of the Titans
was Cronos, whose Roman name is Saturn. |
| Titania -- |
In William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the queen
of the fairies. |
| topography -- |
The shape and form of the surface of a planet. |
| Triton -- |
In Greek mythology, merman, half-man, half-fish. Son of Poseidon
and Amphitrite. |
| trough -- |
A long linear depression. |
| Umbriel -- |
In Alexander Pope's poem "The Rape of the Lock",
a "dusky, melancholy sprite". |
| Uranus -- |
Planet seventh in order from the sun. In Greek mythology,
god of the sky, mate of the goddess of the Earth, and father
of the Titans. |
| Ursula -- |
In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, the attendant
to Hero. |
| Valhalla -- |
In Norse mythology, Odin's hall, where he received the souls
of slain warriors. |
| Venus -- |
Planet second in order from the sun. In Roman mythology,
goddess of love (Greek name, Aphrodite). |
| vent -- |
An opening or fissure in a planet's surface through which
volcanic material erupts. |
| Vires-akka -- |
In Northern European / Arctic mythology, a forest goddess. |
| viscosity -- |
A measure of resistance to flow. |
| volcanic rock -- |
Rock formed by eruption onto a planet's surface. |