Astronomy: General

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. A Dictionary of Astronomy Further reading

gegenschein

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

gegenschein or counterglow, a slight brightening of the night sky in the region of the zodiac directly opposite the sun, i.e., 180° from the sun. Discovered by the Danish astronomer Theodor Brersen in 1854, its nature and cause are still unknown. It may be caused by reflection of sunlight by small dust particles that lie in the plane of the solar system. It is possible that these particles are part of a tail of the earth, extending away from the sun like the tail of a comet. The gegenschein is one of several sky glows, as is the zodiacal light .

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gegenschein

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | Copyright

gegenschein A faint, diffuse oval glow some 10° across, appearing in the midnight sky directly opposite the Sun; also known as the counterglow (its meaning in German). The gegenschein is produced by the reflection of sunlight from small zodiacal dust particles, and has an extremely low surface brightness. It is visible only under the clearest and darkest sky conditions.