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Damocles
Damocles Asteroid 5335, a body with an unusual orbit that takes it from near the orbit of Mars out beyond the orbit of Uranus, discovered in 1991 by the British astronomer Robert Houston McNaught (1956– ). On the basis of its orbit, which has a period of 40.7 years and a high inclination, it would probably have been classed as a comet had it shown a trace of a coma or hint of a tail. However, Damocles appears to be a bare rocky body, although it could be an extinct Halley‐family comet. Its diameter is estimated at 15–20 km. Although Damocles' present orbit does not cross that of the Earth, in a few tens of thousands of years from now it may well do so due to planetary perturbations. Currently its semimajor axis is 11.84 AU, perihelion 1.58 AU, aphelion 22.10 AU, and inclination 61°.9. It was last at perihelion in 1990.
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"Damocles." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Damocles." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-Damocles.html "Damocles." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-Damocles.html |
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Damocles
Damocles , in classical mythology, courtier at the court of Dionysius I. He so persistently praised the power and happiness of Dionysius that the tyrant, in order to show the precariousness of rank and power, gave a banquet and had a sword suspended above the head of Damocles by a single hair. Hence the expression "the sword of Damocles" to mean an ever-present peril. |
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"Damocles." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Damocles." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Damocles.html "Damocles." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Damocles.html |
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Damocles
Damocles a legendary courtier who extravagantly praised the happiness of Dionysius I, ruler of Syracuse. To show him how precarious this happiness was, Dionysius seated him at a banquet with a sword hung by a single hair over his head. The sword of Damocles is now used to refer to a precarious situation.
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Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Damocles." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Damocles." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Damocles.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Damocles." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Damocles.html |
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Damocles
Damocles In Greek history, a courtier of Dionysius I of Syracuse (Sicily). Dionysius suspended a sword by a thread above Damocles' head to make him realize that wealth and power were transient and fragile.
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"Damocles." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Damocles." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Damocles.html "Damocles." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Damocles.html |
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Damocles
Damocles
•Andes
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•Maimonides, Simonides
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•isosceles • Praxiteles • Hercules
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•Demosthenes
•Aristophanes, Xenophanes
•manganese • Holofernes • editiones principes • herpes
•lares, primus inter pares
•Antares, Ares, Aries, caries
•antifreeze • Ceres • Buenos Aires
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Cite this article
"Damocles." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Damocles." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Damocles.html "Damocles." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Damocles.html |
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