celestial mechanics
1
7.9
- noun
- /səˈlɛstʃəl mɪˈkænɪks/
- Specialized
:
mecánica celeste
- Understanding celestial mechanics is essential for designing spacecraft trajectories for interplanetary missions.
Examples
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It's a problem in celestial mechanics.
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And because of celestial mechanics, these rocks end up on the Earth.
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Calculus proved to be a powerful formalism for handling problems in celestial mechanics.
Academic text (2005) -
The problem in celestial mechanics that had to be solved to intercept Halley's comet was relatively straightforward.
Academic text (1992) -
Without ever recognizing the sphericity of the earth, they had grasped enough knowledge of celestial mechanics to enable them to predict eclipses.
Academic text (1992) -
Astronomers use the principles of celestial mechanics to calculate the orbits of planets and moons.
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The principles of celestial mechanics explain how gravitational forces influence the movements of stars and planets.
Synonyms
The study of how planets, satellites, and spacecraft move in space
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the study of the motion of celestial bodies' is directly and compositionally derived from 'celestial' (relating to stars/planets) + 'mechanics' (the study of motion and forces). This adjective+noun combination follows standard English compounding patterns and has clear equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the term.
Etymology
The term celestial mechanics comes from a simple picture: celestial means the stars and planets, and mechanics suggests parts of a machine or clock that move together. Scientists study those machine-like movements to predict orbits and other 'motions', so the name means the study of how heavenly bodies move.