Astronomy

Definition of equinox

Latin is where we can establish that the etymological origin of the term equinox that concerns us now is found. Specifically, it comes from the word “aequinoctium”, which is the result of the sum of two lexical components: -The word “aequus”, which means “equal”. -The noun “nox”, which can be translated as “night”. The concept of equinox is […]

Definition of aeon

The Greek word aiṓn came to Latin as aeon, which in our language became eon. The term has various uses depending on the context. In colloquial language, an aeon is a very long, although imprecise, period of time. For example: “I haven't eaten this dish in eons”, “I feel like eons have passed since the last […]

Definition of earth axis

The notion of axis has more than a dozen meanings. It may be the rod that supports a body while it rotates, passing through it. Terrestrial, on the other hand, is that linked to the earth (as opposed to water or sky) or to planet Earth. In the field of geography and […]

Definition of diurnal

To know the meaning of the term diurnal, it is necessary to know, first of all, its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it derives from Latin, exactly from the word "diurnus", which can be translated as "belonging to the day" and that it is the result of the sum of the following lexical components: -The noun "dies", which can […]

Definition of day

The origin of the term day that concerns us now is found in Latin. And it derives from the word «dies» which, in turn, comes from the Indo-European root «dyeu-«. A day is a temporary period of 24 hours. That is the time it takes for the Earth to make a […]

Definition of cumulus

The Latin word cumŭlus came into Spanish as cumulus. The concept can be used to name the accumulation or disorderly piling up of various elements. For example: "When the meeting ended, I experienced an accumulation of sensations", "My life is an accumulation of problems, I need a vacation", "The accumulation of government errors caused this social crisis." […]

Definition of crescent

In order to know the meaning of the term crescent quarter, it is necessary to proceed to discover the etymological origin of the two words that give it shape: -Fourth comes from Latin, exactly from “quartus”, which can be translated as “the one that follows the third ”. -Crescent, on the other hand, also derives from Latin. Exactly it emanates from “crescentis”, which […]

Definition of last quarter

The change in the visible surface of the Moon from the Earth gives rise to the so-called lunar phases: one of them is known as the last quarter. These modifications are produced by the change in the position of the satellite with respect to our planet and the Sun. The lunar phases follow each other, creating a cycle […]

Definition of crater

The etymological origin of crater is found in a Greek word that later derived from the Latin crater (translatable as "cup"). In the broadest sense, a crater is a depression or concavity that is usually circular in shape. In general, the notion refers specifically to the topographic depression that is generated by the […]

Definition of constellation

According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), constellation is a term that can also be written as constellation, although this second form is used infrequently. Coming from the Latin word constellatio, it is the group of stars that, through imaginary lines, give shape to a drawing that refers to a certain figure. […]