perigee

views updated May 21 2018

perigee (astron.) point in the orbit of a planet that is nearest to the earth. XVI. In early use varying with forms directly repr. L. and Gr.; — F. périgée — modL. perigēum, -æum — late Gr. perigeion, sb. use of n. of perígeios ‘close round the earth’, f. PERI- + géē, gaîa, earth.

perigee

views updated May 21 2018

per·i·gee / ˈperəˌjē/ • n. Astron. the point in the orbit of the moon or a satellite at which it is nearest to the earth. The opposite of apogee.

perigee

views updated May 21 2018

perigee Point in the orbit about the Earth of the Moon or of an artificial satellite, at which the body is nearest to the Earth.

perigee

views updated May 08 2018

perigee The point nearest the planet in the orbit of a satellite, originally defined for the lunar orbit. Compare APOGEE.