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zodiacal light
zodiacal light or zodiacal band, a faint band of light sometimes seen in the western sky just after sunset in the spring, extending up from the horizon at the point where the sun has just set, or in the eastern sky just before sunrise in the autumn. The light is so faint as to be obscured by moonlight. It is caused by the reflection and scattering of sunlight by a sparse band of tiny dust particles that appears to be an extension of the solar corona, stretching out beyond the orbit of Jupiter. Concentrated in the plane of the ecliptic , the faint light is best seen in the region of the sky called the zodiac . Near the equator the zodiacal light sometimes seems to stretch completely across the sky. It was first investigated and explained by the astronomer Gian Domenico Cassini about 1690.
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"zodiacal light." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "zodiacal light." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-zodiacal.html "zodiacal light." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-zodiacal.html |
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zodiacal light
zodiacal light A faint diffuse glow, comparable in intensity to the fainter parts of the Milky Way, produced by the reflection of sunlight from zodiacal dust particles in the ecliptic plane. From temperate latitudes, the zodiacal light is best seen on spring evenings about 90 min after sunset, or in the autumn about 90 min before sunrise; at these times, the ecliptic, along which the light appears to extend for some 60 ° to 90 °, lies at a steep angle relative to the horizon. An observing site free from light pollution is essential. The intensity of the zodiacal light may vary with the solar cycle, being greatest around sunspot minimum when the interplanetary solar wind is dominated by fast-flowing particle streams from coronal holes.
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"zodiacal light." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "zodiacal light." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-zodiacallight.html "zodiacal light." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-zodiacallight.html |
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zodiacal light
zodiacal light Zone of light apparent at night, after twilight, and again before morning twilight, caused by atmospheric particles scattering sunlight.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "zodiacal light." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "zodiacal light." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-zodiacallight.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "zodiacal light." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-zodiacallight.html |
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