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shepherd satellite - A small moon at the edge of a ring system that gravitationally maintains a sharp edge to the ring. Shepherd satellites have been
discovered in the ring systems of all of the jovian planets.
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superior conjunction - a planet is in superior conjunction when it is on the opposite side of the solar system from us. We see it in the same direction
as the Sun, but behind it. Of course, the planet is completely unobservable at this time.
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supermoon - no such thing. I think it’s something Fox News came up with. They claim that when the Moon is at perigee and Full, it appears
remarkably huge. It is really not appreciabley larger than any other Full Moon.
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syzygy - ah… that most wonderful of Scrabble words. When three astronomical bodies are in syzygy, they all line on a single line. It happens at all
total eclipses, whether solar or lunar.
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shepherd satellite - A small moon at
the edge of a ring system that
gravitationally maintains a sharp edge
to the ring. Shepherd satellites have
been discovered in the ring systems of
all of the jovian planets.
▪
superior conjunction - a planet is in
superior conjunction when it is on the
opposite side of the solar system from
us. We see it in the same direction as
the Sun, but behind it. Of course, the
planet is completely unobservable at
this time.
▪
supermoon - no such thing. I think it’s
something Fox News came up with.
They claim that when the Moon is at
perigee and Full, it appears remarkably
huge. It is really not appreciabley
larger than any other Full Moon.
▪
syzygy - ah… that most wonderful of
Scrabble words. When three
astronomical bodies are in syzygy, they
all line on a single line. It happens at
all total eclipses, whether solar or lunar.