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Glite Dictionary
gegenschein

gegenschein

1 9.9
A faint glow in the night sky opposite the Sun when sunlight bounces off dust in space
  • noun
  • /ˈɡeɪɡənˌʃaɪn/
  • Specialized
: gegenschein
  • Have you ever seen a gegenschein?

Examples

  • During my stargazing session, I was thrilled to see the gegenschein emerge as the last lights of dusk faded.

  • On clear, moonless nights, experienced astronomers may observe the gegenschein as a faint glow in the sky.

  • Scientists study the gegenschein to learn more about the distribution of interplanetary dust.

  • The gegenschein is best seen in rural areas far from city lights.

  • The gegenschein was visible in the clear night sky.

  • Under a clear night sky, the faint light of the gegenschein appeared opposite the setting sun.

  • Astronomers can observe the gegenschein as a subtle glow reflecting sunlight from dust in space.

Synonyms

counterglow
vsgegenschein
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A faint patch of light in the night sky opposite the Sun caused by sunlight reflecting from dust in space

has identical meaning but uses a different term

Surface Forms

gegenschein singular
gegenscheins plural

Etymology

The word gegenschein comes from the German words gegen 'opposite' and schein 'shine'. It means the faint 'glow' you can see in the night sky directly opposite the Sun, so the name exactly describes where and how the light appears.